Hail Mary
by Arby Works
Summary: Tired of feeling like a no-talent outcast, Spike decides to join the school football team alongside Applejack and Rainbow Dash, in hopes it may help him deal with his problems with bullies, and gain the courage to speak to the woman of his dreams. A collaboration between Arby Works and Ezreinel.
1. Rainbow's Number

Despite everything, the sun still hung in the sky. The world still seemed to turn, he could tell by the nearly unnoticeable shift of the shadows over the metallic side of the dumpster, and birds still sung in the brilliant morning air. The sky was so very clear and blue as the sea, faint drifting clouds like waves crashing against the horizon. Despite all his troubles, the day went on.

Anyone would say that this was a glorious day, a wonderfully welcoming weather forecast and an abnormally abundant cheer drifting through the streets and into the swinging campus doors. A beautiful late summer day tangled in the beams of sunlight and the quickly changing hues of leaves, leaves which blew around him in his somewhat compromising position. But none of those things really mattered to him. He felt like trash, but hey, that came with the territory.

He sat up at last, wincing at the trouble his stomach muscles had lifting his weakened body to peer over the tall metal siding. He put my hands on it, and was quite sickened by the anonymous sticky substance that baked onto the bin like the leftover lining of cupcakes in those little round pans. He managed to pull himself up high enough to hoist his small body over the tall metal obstacle, though his landing on the other side was less than graceful. Dusting the garbage and rubbish of his freshly pressed pants, he sighed audibly, glancing back at the old familiar dumpster he thought he had outgrown. Surely throwing a kid into a dumpster was an old and tired ruse, but perhaps some people just never grew up or got creative about anything.

Sucking back the urge to mutter a cuss, Spike settled on a sigh as several teenagers bearing backpacks walked by. After they passed, he started following them from a distance, rubbing his swelling cheek. Up ahead, the group discussed mindless chatter, the sport they were gonna play as well as girls. It was typical high school chatter and he couldn't help but conjure up the mental images of several girls he knew.

The school itself was no Canterlot High, but Manhatten Secondary School did the job of teaching and preaching the fundamentals of education well enough. The notion that all of the student body were decent students made him snort in response. Up ahead, a girl was approaching him. She had a wide smile that slowly faded, shifting between concern and surprise before she settled on crestfallen. As they got closer, she pulled out a napkin from her bag as well as a small comb.

"Hey, Twi," he said, attempting to smile.

"Spike, what happened?" she asked, cleaning dirt off his face.

"I was walking to school and there was probably jello or something at the top of the staircase in the park and—" Spike paused, seeing Twilight's unchanged expression. Her eyes briefly shifted towards his as she paused. After a moment, Twilight continued with cleaning off the dirt, averting her eyes once more. Spike let out a long sigh.

"Felix spotted me walking and I guess he just decided that me existing pissed him off, I guess. Threw me in a dumpster afterward."

Twilight let out a drawn-out sigh and discarded the tissue. She quickly brushed off any leaves or dirt that was on his clothes before starting to remove any stains or mystery liquids that coated his previously clean-as-new outfit.

"Spike, it's been seven years now. Why won't you just accept help from others or talk to someone other than me? He won't stop if you won't try to stop him," she said, brushing the plastic teeth through his ruffled hair.

"Because I can't go around asking girls to fight my battles for me, and I want you to stop acting like you know what's best. I can take care of myself," Spike growled, crossing his arms.

"I know, Spike. I know," she muttered dejectedly before putting the comb away again.

Spike sighed, taking a quick glance at the school grounds. All around, the groups had shown themselves: jocks; bikers; smokers; students with cars, the list goes on. He mentally kicked himself for not putting himself in a group earlier in his high school life, stuck as the black sheep in a group full of girls.

Upon entering the building through its old, beaten-down doors, they were immediately greeted by Pinkie Pie, enveloping them both in a massive hug.

"HAYO, WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!" she squealed, repeatedly hopping up and down.

"P-Pinkie, be quiet, will you!?" Spike said, nervously glancing around.

"Hi, Pinkie," Twilight said, returning the hug.

Many eyes in the front hall had their eyes drawn to the trio with Spike as the only one nervous about the attention. His face reddened as he resigned himself to his fate, just as Fluttershy approached them as well. Pinkie Pie released them from the hug and seemed shaky with excitement.

"Hi, Twilight. Hi, Spike," she said in a rather excited voice (by Fluttershy's standards).

Spike gave a small wave, eying their uniforms. Twilight was always the modest one but she had spurned a bit, opting for a formal uniform. The other two were wearing clothes one would expect them to wear any day of the week. This caused the boy to look at his own clothes, worrying about any stains or tears in his new clothes. His worries were cut short, replaced with new ones. He briefly pondered what he'd say if the other two asked him what happened… or if they, like Twilight, wouldn't have to be told to put it together. To his relief, none of them asked, seemingly caught up in discussing what had transpired over the summer. Spike's eyes wandered, seeing if he could spot the others but to no avail. For several minutes, he let the girls talk, responding only when he was prompted to. He was okay with it, as he wasn't in much of a mood to chat it up. Eventually, the bells sounded and the two girls left, bidding the duo farewell.

"Alright, Spike. Please try to tell others, or ask for help next time. I only want you to enjoy learning, not dreading seeing those punks at school," she said, checking his hair once more.

Spike swatted her hands away before slouching forward, putting his hands in his pockets. He grumbled something to which Twilight either didn't hear or pretended not to. Pulling out a napkin, she quickly cleaned Spike's face once more much to his dismay but he didn't fight it. Twilight acted more like a mother than his older sister. And like a mother, she was going to take care of him whether he liked it or not. After, she disposed of the napkin and returned to the still-grumbling Spike. Students still piled in the front doors, heading to their classes as they stood in the centre of the room, people passing around them. She placed her finger on the bottom of his chin and tilted it up until his eyes met hers. Twilight flashed him a warm smile.

"Chin up, you won't make any friends grouchy. Try to make the best of it and if you have a problem, you have my number, okay?"

He muttered a "yes" and Twilight's smile shrunk a bit but she still gave him a hug. Spike's face reddened a bit but he still returned the hug nonetheless. Even if it was embarrassing, she was still his sister, just looking out for him. He could show her that he was thankful, even if but a little bit.

"Try and join a club, alright? It's not too late to start making friends, and what better way for friends to bond than through sports?"

"Sure, I'll think about it," Spike responded, his droopy voice no longer dominating.

Twilight's smile returned as they broke the hug and they went their separate ways, just as they were the last ones in the front hall.

Lunch time, Spike refused a text from Twilight to hang out with the girls. He decided that if he was going to man up and finally stand up for himself, he was going to join a club… and as soon as possible. Eating his lunch, he shuffled his feet as he made his way through the blue, white and black hallways adorned with lockers. Swerving around each student until he came up to the sports hallway. Walking through it, he passed the doors for the boys locker rooms located on each side until he got to a bulletin board next to the entrance to the gym. Glancing at it, he swallowed what was left of a fruit-snack and wiped his hands on his dirty shirt, reading the various team flyers.

"Basketball, baseball, soccer, fencing, swimming, book, football, golf, croquet, art, jeez… enough clubs!?" Spike muttered, rubbing his scalp as he took in the potential clubs.

He crossed his arms for a moment, tapping his foot as he thought. Around him, other students walked around the halls, chatting, or if they're in grade 9, glancing at a map as well as their class schedule. Inside the gym, a game of dodgeball was roaring between student parliament and some of the grade 9s. Spike glanced out there briefly, taking in the immense fun some of the newbies were having. Grand, large smiles adorned the faces of several students that were clearly sports stars as well as ones who looked more like they belonged in science class. None of them seemed to be fighting or arguing over who got hit or what… it was just good fun and Spike briefly wished he did this in his first year.

Sighing, the boy rubbed his cheek once more where it was most visible he was hit. Spike glanced back towards the bulletin board and a thought started to bud up in his mind. He continued rubbing his cheek, thinking back to the incident.

_A shove from behind sent the boy with green hair stumbling forward. He fell to the ground onto his hands and he quickly stood up, facing the one who shoved him. A boy with an expression somewhere between smug and distaste glared at him as he was rounded by two others. He spit at the ground in front of the green haired boy as the three cornered him by a dumpster._

"_Spike, now that I've got your attention, I was hoping you'd introduce me to one of those lady friends of yours. Maybe show her a good time, go out this year with a bang, no pun intended." He grinned._

"_Felix, why not just ask them yourselves if you're so eager to look like a dipshit," Spike said, balling his fists up._

"_Now now, Spike, that's no way to treat old friends but if that's what you want—"_

_A closed fist met the side of Felix's torso, hitting him in the ribs. He let out a cough, clutching his side as he stumbled back. Before Spike could retract his arm to prepare for the other two, one of Felix's goons hit him in the left cheek, knocking him over. The second goon stepped forward and kicked Spike once in the gut, soliciting a cough from him. The two then made sure that Felix wasn't dying on the ground and then all three turned their attention to Spike as he grabbed the edge of the dumpster and pulled himself up, disposing of his bag to the next. His body shivered and his cheek was starting to swell up already with tears building up in his left eye._

"_Spike, didn't your momma ever say not to start fights?" Felix said, cracking his knuckles._

_Spike raised his fists, arms still shaking as he nervously glanced at them. A flurry of punches and kicks later, Spike was sitting on the ground, leaned up against the dumpster as he held onto his gut. He let out several rough coughs, but he didn't make much noise. Without wasting a second, the three boys grabbed his arms and yanked him to his feet before chucking him into the garbage dumpster. Grabbing his bag, Felix unzipped the opening and dumped the contents into the garbage bin atop Spike before tossing the bag across the small street. For good measure, the second goon closed the bin over Spike as the three proceeded to school._

Spike's face darkened as he thought of the incident in the morning yet he glanced to one flyer as he thought about the whole fight.

"I didn't really feel any pain from their hits. I could do a contact sport," he muttered, eyes finding themselves directed towards the tacky football poster.

It was one of those cheap designs that was clearly produced in a slideshow program rather than an actual image editor. Cheap, flashy; it was clearly made by an uneducated student parliament member that though bright neon colours and stretched, pixelated images would look good when printed out in the school's black and white printers (God forbid they spend a little money printing colour posters).

**FOOTBALL TRYOUTS! COME JOIN THE FOOTBALL TEAM AND WORK HARD AND TOUGH! SPEAK TO TEAM CAPTAIN, APPLEJACK, FOR MORE INFORMATION! TRYOUTS ARE AFTER SCHOOL AT 3:30 PM! BE THERE!**

Not minding the poor quality, Spike wondered if he should go ask Applejack in the cafeteria. Already seeing the inevitable meeting and introductions occurring, he decided to wait and seek out the farmer after school. Taking a quick glance around, he stepped out of the hallway and headed towards his next classroom to finish lunch. As he sat down at a desk, teacher not present, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the contact list. It was only four of the six girls he knew; Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. He didn't need Rainbow's number, and he was too nervous to so much as speak to Rarity. A meek attraction towards the fashionista closed him off from asking, as well as what her reaction might be.

"_A weakling that gets beaten up wants my number!? Bah! Come back later when you grow a spine!"_

'_Okay, that probably won't happen, but she won't want to talk to me. She already has so many friends, she doesn't need me,_' he thought.

Suddenly, the prospect of the football team seemed more and more enticing. He ran images of himself scoring various touchdowns. Spike, the seven-foot tall Quarterback with muscles large enough to make Big Macintosh feel envious. He smiled stupidly at the impossible thought but the prospect of toughening himself up via football still rung in his mind. With that, he scrolled down to Twilight's name and tapped it. A photo of the girl asleep at her desk, drooling all over a textbook was present; Spike's caller ID photo for her, much to the scholar's dismay. Near the top of the page, he tapped the IM icon and mashed out a quick text.

"Twilight, maybe joining football team. Maybe toughen self up. What do u think?"

SEND

With that, he sighed and set the phone down as he pulled out a sandwich. Before he got a bite in, his phone vibrated repeatedly with one of the phone's preinstalled ringtones playing. Twilight's sleeping figure acted as the caller ID image. Spike set the sandwich down atop the plastic baggie it was in and hit answer.

"Hello?" he asked.

"_SPIKE, hi! So glad to hear you're joining a team,_" she shouted into the phone. Loud chatter could be heard on the other end as well as the squeaky voice of Pinkie Pie seemingly describing the mechanics behind an ice cream truck. A few giggles could be heard, one of which Spike identified easily regardless of the crappy sound. "_I have Applejack here if you wanna talk, or I guess you can talk since you have her number. Or do you want me to put you on speaker phone!?_"

"No, Twi, that's not nec—"

"_**OOPSIE, SORRY, TWILIGHT! HAHAHA!**_" a loud, bubbly booming voice sounded along with an entire cafeteria of loud, chatting voices.

The sound blared out of the earpiece for the phone suddenly, scaring Spike into dropping the phone. He rubbed his ear as it buzzed for a brief moment. Twilight could be heard scolding Pinkie Pie for a moment and by the time Spike recovered, his heart fluttered at the voice he heard.

"_Twilight, is that dear Spikey!? Where is he, don't tell me he's eating alone, right?_" Rarity's voice said.

Spike was briefly stunned for a moment before he raised the phone up to his ear. He gulped a moment just as Twilight started to speak.

"_Y-yeah, it's Spike, and—_"

"No, no, I'm not alone, per say. I'm just w-waiting to talk to a guidance counsellor to change a class, yeah," Spike stuttered out.

"_Oh, yeah. Spike said he wanted to switch out of… that class, yeah, haha,_" Twilight said.

Spike breathed a sigh of relief.

"_Oh. Well, be sure to come to our table tomorrow, Spikey. _Some _of us haven't seen you all summer and would like to catch up, alright?_" Rarity asked.

Spike gulped a moment, feeling all ability to think properly vanish.

"R-right, uh, sure. I will. No problemo," he stammered, feeling a smile force its way to his face.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked.

Spike looked up to see a teacher standing in the doorway, files in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. Spike gulped once more for a different reason and stammered once more.

"Uh, sorry, gotta go," he spat out as he ended the call.

"No food or drink in here!"


	2. Pipsqueak's Number

Tensing his muzzle, Spike glanced out over the field. Wide, grassy on a day with blue skies. White lines slightly faded, a proper jersey on (or, as proper as it could get being a school jersey from three years ago), he spat onto the grass, accidentally spitting out his mouthguard too. He muttered a cuss word at the foolish show, only getting a laugh from Rainbow as a response.

Up ahead, she had her finger on the tip of a football standing vertically atop a small black square on the grass. Eying it, Spike saw it was lined up perfectly with the goal post. Spike tapped his new JIKE cleats against the grass, digging the spikes into the turf as he made sure his grip was absolute. Taking in a deep breath, Spike calmed himself down with basic yoga breathing techniques.

"Yo spiney, before the tourney's end, please," Rainbow shouted out once more.

Spike's calm face was replaced with irritation as he bent his knees, leaning forward before pressing off the ground with his feet. His legs started the usual motions and Spike darted forward, ignoring the seven sets of eyes watching him as he proceeded to direct his anger towards the pigskin as if it would allow him to kick well. Approaching the brown, leathery ellipsis, he stomped his left foot into the ground as he felt his momentum keeping him leaning forward. Bringing his right foot back, Spike grunted as he threw all his leg power into this kick.

Instead of launching the ball, a pair of hands yanked the ball back. Rainbow quickly rolled backwards, snickering as Spike's kick flew into the air, not connecting anything. The momentum caused him to fall forward and Spike panicked. He bent his right leg so his foot would land on the grass. His foot connected as his left foot was stretched far out, still planted firmly. Momentum wasn't on his side though as he immediately found his left foot no longer against a solid ground, finding himself tumbling forward. His head hit the ground, protected by the helmet but he could feel his teeth chattering in his head as he rolled once or twice.

Rolling onto his back, Spike was a bit dazed as he tilted his head up to see the rainbow-haired girl in hysterics. Three boys, jocks Spike expected to see here, laughed at the commotion while Applejack rolled her eyes. Spike didn't see the other two people's reactions.

"Rule #1, spiney, never give it all your strength. Otherwise you'll throw out your leg much too fast," she said. "At least, from what I've seen of past kickers."

Spike muttered another cuss as he failed to realize he blue skied himself. He stared up at the clouds, laying on his back as he felt the suns rays caress his body. Spike shut out the sounds of laughing or chatter or whatever quips the jocks had and watched Rainbow smile down at him. Another figure appeared next to him, his face silhouetted by the sun.

"Need a lift, bub?" the voice said, a distinct accent to it.

A hand was outstretched and Spike squinted his eyes to see who helped him. Blindly, he grabbed the hand and was yanked to his feet. In front of him stood a taller boy with paled skin and hazelnut brown hair. Looking more like a professional athlete rather than a high school football player, Spike muttered a thanks as the boy smiled back at him. He wore a "CANTERLOT FOOTBALL SQUAD" t-shirt that looked over 20 years old; one of the tryouts.

"She's right, might not wanna take 'er too rough, at least for a bit. Give it yer all out on the field when it really matters," the boy said as he patted Spike on the shoulders.

"Pipsqueak," a voice shouted and stunned them both stiff, "get back to stance training!"

Spike glanced over to spot Rainbow barking orders all of a sudden as Applejack watched on silently, nodding in approval. The laugh/lesson was over, now back to doing her job. Several of the other wannabe linemen tensed up, namely those three guys that were just yuking it up with Rainbow. Pipsqueak sheepishly apologized and started a sprint back towards the line of tires. The now-serious girl stood up to full height, though he did not have much of that to talk about, and glared at them.

"Dumbbell, take your dumb friends over to their dumb positions, otherwise take your dumb friends off of my playing field," she shouted as she pointed to one side.

All three put on scowls as they jogged past, muttering cusses that Rainbow either didn't hear or ignored entirely. She turned her attention to Spike as she still clasped the football. Blindly, she threw the football over her shoulder and easily Applejack caught it. Rainbow stepped to the side as Spike shrugged his shoulders, awaiting any orders for him that might come at a deafening decibel.

Like a bullet, the football left Applejack's hand. Next thing Spike knew, his arms were reacting and he clasped his gloved fingers around the football yet it still hit his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. He stumbled back and fell over, watching Applejack's now extended arm fall back over to her side. Spike let out several coughs as he once more was laid out, staring up at the skies. Glancing over, he could spot identical amused smirks on Rainbow and Applejack's faces.

"That was pretty fast. I guess you do have potential to be a receiver, if you can pay attention well enough. Or maybe even our tight end," Rainbow said. She muttered for a few more seconds, walking in a circle, arms folded. Spike clambered to his feet just as she seemed to finish. "Sure, we could give it a shot later if we don't get a tight end, but for now, lets see what that leg of yours can do."

Rainbow outstretched her hand as Spike tossed the pigskin towards her. It was a wobbly throw but she still caught it and didn't bother pick at him about it. Once more, she knelt over and set the ball atop the kicking tee once more. Skeptically, Spike walked backwards as he eyed Rainbow. This was something she seemed to clue in on.

"Don't worry, I won't do that again. I can't prank my friends too often, then they'll expect it," she said, shooting him a big grin to assure him. "Besides, Applejack scolds me if I don't keep focused on the team, you know?"

'_Friends? Sure… that sounds nice_,' Spike thought.

He grinned as he leaned forward, planting his foot into the ground. He didn't check for grip and nodded to Rainbow. She nodded back.

'_Here we go._'

Spike put all his weight forward, pushing off with the tip of his right foot. Unfortunately, he happened to have placed the tip of his shoe on the mouthguard he spat out, which rolled in the grass causing Spike to tumble over. He landed face first into the ground, the wind leaving his lungs once more. Rainbow and Applejack simultaneously let out hearty laughs as Spike rolled over onto his back.

"Goddammit," he muttered.

"All right boys and girls, you know the drill. Run the circuit one at a time, then the usual three laps around the field. Once we're all warmed up, we can play a down or two and show you what a game might actually look like." Rainbow Dash called to the field as she clapped her hands and paced around, directing with her hands as she went, "Quit standing around here listening to me and get to it!"

. . .

Spike panted a bit as he cleared his first lap. He wasn't used to running, along with many others trying out. Clenching his teeth, he continued at his same pace, even through the burning in his legs. Several others, including Applejack ane Rainbow, were practically sprinting the whole way. Of course the farmer and athlete were in first. Of course they were competing regardless of this being a warmup. Spike watched as they shoved each other a bit, passing by him with ease. Once more, Spike reconsidered the team but considering he got on it before first tryout, he sucked back whatever complaint he had and persisted forward.

Up ahead, he found himself gaining on Pipsqueak, who was anything but. Pipsqueak seemed to be having a harder time running, even if he was quite possibly the largest on the team. Spike then remembered Pipsqueak was a foot and a half shorter before high school started; he simply wasn't used to running.

"Pipsqueak, why is this so hard?" Spike asked anyways between hufts.

"Never-" Pant. "Had-" Pant. "This problem-" Pant. "Before."

Spike stared skeptically, frowning. The two took the first turn of the second lap, slowing down a bit to let Pipsqueak catch up a bit. Spike considered the implications before slapping his forehead.

"Right, you just exerted a bunch of strength against other linemen," he muttered.

"Oh." Pant. "Right." Pipsqueak sheepishly grinned as he slowed down to just barely a jog. Spike matched his speed.

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why do you seem so familiar?" Spike asked.

Pipsqueak gulped back whatever saliva built up in his mouth and glanced over to the shorter player.

"Ten years ago or so, we met briefly on Nightmare Night. Y'know, the whole fiasco with cancelling the holiday. Principal Luna was… uh, well, I'm pretty sure it was because of all the pranks kids were pulling. I remember it as my child mind imagining a whole lot more in it's candy-hyped state," he said, pursing his lips at the thought.

Spike thought back and remembered the incident in question; indeed, he had met the transfer student around the time Luna had threatened Nightmare Night to the school. Thinking back, it was rather foggy but he knew that both Luna and Pipsqueak were involved. Luna was now Vice Principal at this very school. With that out of the way, Pipsqueak spoke up once more.

"If… you don't mind me asking, at the time, I thought it was just your costume. Y'know, you being a dragon and all, but—" Pipsqueak glanced back at Spike as they started the next straight. Spike returned the glance. "Your eyes are slitted. Is there any story to that?"

Spike gulped as Pipsqueak mentioned his eyes. He faced forward and his face darkened as memories flushed through his mind. Bitter thoughts best left forgotten yet one found it's way to his brain.

_The sounds of schoolchildren's laughter was deafening, but so common it went almost unheard. Spike watched his own two feet as he jumped down the few steps on the stoop of the old elementary school house, a place that had at first seemed so bright. Everyone around him was laughing and piling out of the front doors, the time spent indoors for that day finally coming to an end. _

_Spike was in a rush, a rush to get back home to his older sister. She had told him to come straight back, she had taken the time out of her own schedule to teach him advance science, several years about his current education's level. Spike thought it was so cool, and Twilight was his best friend, the person he looked up to most at the time. _

_He was so hurried that he didn't even notice bumping and nudging another young boy from his place standing in the middle of the crowd, taking up the whole sidewalk. The other boy frowned and turned around, watching Spike, who was much smaller than himself, try to hurry off without so much as an apology. _

"_Wait right there," the larger boy spoke as Spike was yanked backwards by the handle grip on the top of his backpack. Spike found himself turned around to meet the gaze of that same taller boy, one he recognized from his class. "You're not even going t'pologize for that?" his words were not pronounced correctly, as his education had not taught him all of that yet._

"_Oh, sorry. I'm just in a bit of a hurry." Spike nervously tried to pull away, scratching his shaggy green hair as he held the eye contact. This was before he had become so cautious about them, about those eyes that the taller boy seemed more than interested in._

"_What's with your eyes, kid?" the boy scoffed and snorted a laugh, finding it amusing. "You're like, you're like an iguana or something!"_

"_An iguana?" Spike repeated questioningly. Right, they had been studying reptiles in school, so it was no wonder he knew such a word. Still, Spike was not pleased to hear this, and his dissatisfaction appeared on his face, "No. That's not very nice."_

"_Nice? Who said I was nice?" The taller boy shoved him into a stumble and glared hard at Spike, now more irritated than ever. "Listen you little jerk, you made a big mistake running into me, and talking to me like that."_

"_I don't even know who you are, but I really have to go, okay? My sister is expecting me home." Spike tried to reason with him, but the taller boy shoved him again, following close as Spike retreated a few steps back._

"_Let me introduce myself, then." He grabbed Spike by the shirt and roughly shoved him against the red brick wall, lifting him onto the tips of his toes with force, "My name's Felix. And you're going to be a bit late today."_

"Spike?" Pipsqueak's voice chimed in, and Spike flinched to realize he had not been paying attention, "Thought I lost you for a minute there."

"Hah! Pick up the pace, kids, unless you really like the taste of dust!" Rainbow Dash shoved from in between them as she raced past, knocking them for a loop.

"Rainbow," Applejack muttered as she ran around the two boys, nudging Rainbow in the side and gesturing back at them.

"Oh, right," Rainbow cleared her voice as she turned back around, running backwards, "Quit your yapping and move your feet! Don't make me come back there!"

Applejack chuckled a bit as Rainbow turned back around, and the two continued to finish their warm-up jog before heading to the middle of the field. After a few more moments, the rest of the team came around, and though Spike was still huffing and heaving with mild exhaustion, there was little time to rest.

Rainbow Dash yawned loudly and obnoxiously as she stretched, leaning back towards Applejack and opening one lazy eye towards her, "Right, so, how do we do this?"

"You're hopeless." Applejack shook her head and laughed before speaking to the rest of the team, "All right, those o' y'all who are better at defence, stand on my left. Offence, my right. Those o' you who dunno yet, stay in the middle and I'll put'cha somewhere."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash conversed a bit while the team split up to either side. The halfs were uneven and small, but the two girls did their bests to make it even. They directed the stragglers to either side and handed the defence a set of yellow pinnies to differentiate them from the offence.

"All right you scrawny little brats," Rainbow Dash clapped as the teams were settled, and she looked around at them, "In case you didn't figure it out yet, whatever Applejack says, you listen. Is that clear? I may be our captain, but on the field, most of the plays will be called by Applejack. And yes, that does mean exactly what it sounds like. Applejack, she's our quarterback."

"Yes ma'am." The team agreed, though their words were not synchronized and rung about in different volumes.

"And trust me when I say, my girl here's got one hell of an arm and some awesome accuracy," Rainbow Dash warned readily, shaking her finger at some of the less than invested players. "So don't even think about ignoring what she says or disrespecting her, because she'll snipe your giggleberries without a second thought." A few of the men on the field shuffled uneasily and thought of their privates.

"Ah ain't gonna do that," Applejack muttered blankly, and Rainbow Dash shot her a shut-up glare.

"All right, as our star player, I'll shoulder the gold. As always." Rainbow Dash snatched up a pinnie for herself and adorned it, posing a bit as Applejack rolled her eyes. "You take the offence, Applejack. And do try to make it fun."

Rainbow Dash punched Applejack's shoulder roughly as she administered the challenge. Applejack returned the daring smile as Rainbow Dash jogged over to her half of the team to coach. Applejack did the same and went over to her own team, gesturing for them to move a little ways away from the line. She looked them over once or twice before she decided to speak.

"'kay, those of you who are linemen, Ah need y'to line up right here." She gestured at an area, and a few of the players did as they were told. She frowned at the numbers and went to rectify the situation. "Spike, we ain't gonna need a kicker in this drill, so be a linemen, will you?"

"Uh, okay," Spike anxiously agreed, falling into line behind Pipsqueak, who patten him on the back to show his support.

"You two, think you can catch well enough t'be my receivers for the day?" she spoke to a few more players, who nodded and agreed to the terms. "Good, the rest a'you, just try and hold off them defence. Now, huddle up."

Applejack directed the team a few yards farther away and nodded them in closer. The players still just sort of ambled about sheepishly and unsurely. Applejack groaned in an exasperated sigh and grabbed the padded shoulders of the two players closest to her, yanking them into a tight huddle. The others followed suit, concerned about their giggleberries if they didn't.

"Alright, so somethin' tells me Rainbow's gonna be tellin' her team to push hard. But see, I ain't exactly in the mood to get sacked today." Applejack's eyes ran around the group, determination ringing true in them. "Think y'all can keep 'em off o'me for a spell? Ah want my receivers to go long and keep a good watch for my toss. Easy 'nough?"

"Yeah." Some of the team nodded and agreed.

"Right, break." Applejack clapped and pushed them away guiding them back to the line where Rainbow's half of the team already waited.

"You ready yet? I'm falling asleep over here!" Rainbow Dash faked another yawn, and broke into a loud laugh as Applejack playfully flipped her the finger.

Spike nervously settled in beside Pipsqueak; he had never been this close to the action before. Applejack went and grabbed a football, spinning it around in her hand as she returned to the field, making certain her team was correctly positioned against her friend's defence. She got one of her teammates to provide the snap, and passed him the ball.

Spike was afraid as it all went rather quiet around him, the only sound being the monstrous breathing of the larger men beside and before him. He heard Applejack shouting some words, but nothing that seemed to hold any value. That is, until the one word he recognized rang out.

"Hike!" And just like that all of the bodies around him and in front of him ran into each other, shoulders, arms and helmets locking. His knees buckled a bit as he held the others off, leaning on Pipsqueak for something of help, knowing the larger boy had it easier than he did.

Applejack leaned back and looked over the clashing bodies before her, hoping her linesmen were enough to hold the other half of their team at bay. She could vaguely see her target receiver, but she hardly got much of a chance to get into the throw as someone burst out of the tussle in front of her.

Applejack's eyes widened as she avoided the initial tackle, stepping a few paces backwards as her aggressor regained her footing for another assault. Despite the way the helmet covered her bright, multi-coloured hair, Applejack named her opponent as Rainbow Dash. The grinning Rainbow Dash's feet moved quickly and made chase, and Applejack instinctively ran from her, holding the ball securely in her arms as to keep it out of her enemy's hands.

"What the hay happened to my defence?!" Applejack yelled to her half of the team as she ran forward around their lines, angered by their lack of skill in keeping the others off of her.

"You'd better quit talking and keep running, AJ!" Rainbow Dash laughed maniacally as she kept at Applejack's heels, forcing her down the field in a full sprint.

"Rainbow, quit chasin' me, this is just a drill!" Applejack called over her shoulder as she realized how near Rainbow Dash actually was to catching her.

She turned to evade one attempt at a grab from Rainbow, but found herself yelping and hitting the ground as Rainbow leapt through the air and grabbed her around the legs. The pair hit the grass with a hard collision and were silent as they reeled from the hit. Rainbow lifted her head up, her arms still around Applejack's legs. Applejack merely groaned and shifted a bit, glaring back at her friend over her padded shoulder.

"I totally got you, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash cheered as she pushed herself up a bit, proud of herself for stopping such a force.

"Yeah, yeah, get off'a me, will ya?" Applejack grumbled as she wiggled her feet from under Rainbow Dash's prone body, which only served to give her a nasty idea.

"Mmm." Rainbow grinned this devilish grin and regained control of her hands, sliding them up Applejack's thighs, "Make me." She grabbed at her friend's ass, squeezing rudely and raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"Rainbow!" Applejack shouted as she tried to knock the girl off of her, squirming a bit. Rainbow Dash responded my lifting herself up and wrapping her arms around each of her friend's legs, getting to her own feet and dragging Applejack across the grass.

"What are they doing?" Spike asked while the rest of the team relaxed, stretching out and watching the antics of their supposed leaders several yards away.

"You'll get used to it," Pipsqueak told him absently, checking the strap on his helmet as the rest of the men leisurely strolled about. "Tried out last year, found 'em always screwing 'round like that. If Rainbow Dash wasn't around, I swear Applejack would work us to the bone and back."

"I thought Rainbow Dash was the captain though, isn't she?" Spike inquired with curious eyes.

"She is, but Applejack's the one who's got i' out fer us with all these intense trainings and such, she gives Rainbow lots o' ideas about that sort of thing. Keeps her on track, well, most o' the time." Pipsqueak's expression rotated between several before he settled on rolling his eyes.

"Oh. I knew that they liked to roughhouse, but nothing like that." Spike nodded as he watched his friends bicker before his very eyes.

"What's wrong, quarterback?" Rainbow Dash dragged her across the ground, though it took great effort to do, and Applejack scowled with a very displeased expression. "Thought you were all about keeping your feet on the ground?"

"Ah'm too busy keepin' your crazy head outta the clouds." Applejack murmured as she turned over, holding the football still in her palm. With a quick and forceful toss, she hit Rainbow Dash squarely in the helmet, knocking it a bit crooked.

Rainbow Dash stopped towing the girl and blinked in surprise, dropping one of Applejack's legs to adjust the helmet. Her eyes narrowed suddenly as she pouted a bit. "Oh, that does it!" Applejack scrambled to her feet and evaded Rainbow's initial tackle.

"Watch that temper, partner!" Applejack reminded her friend as she expertly manoeuvred the assault and turned Rainbow's momentum back on herself, grabbing her tightly in a headlock.

"AJ! AJ, quit it!" Rainbow Dash whined loudly as she struggled against the superior force, wriggling to try and get free or pry her friend's arm off of her. She settled instead for shouting something she thought might get her to back off willingly. "You're suffocating me with your damn boobs!"

"C'mere, you." Applejack dragged the protesting young athlete back to the group, only releasing her once they were in front of the team again. "All right, now this here knucklehead's got a point," she told the team in a loud and commanding voice, watching as rainbow Dash scowled and rubbed her neck grouchily. "It don't matter if we're in a drill, we gotta give it our all, right? Ah wanna see one-hundred percent in every drill, every practise, every game. Got that?"

"Yes ma'am!"

After the practise game, Spike looked out over the field briefly, watching everyone pack up. He never truly got to kick and they didn't resemble a football team at all at the moment. They ran out, played a game and ended. Just to see where they all were. Spike glanced over at his phone, noting the time of 5:48PM. Second day of school had been successful and he wiped his face.

Rainbow had thrown out a ball that got deflated after a lineman pileup occurred to the beaten, battered ball. Applejack sat several feet away, sipping back a sports drink with her eyes seemingly trailing the rainbow haired team captain, a dull grin on her face as she had a laid back atmosphere. It even made Spike relax.

Pipsqueak sat down between Applejack and Spike on the bench, letting out several huffs as he didn't bother waiting for the locker room. He removed his shirt as well as his cheap underarmour. It was dirty, not seeing much use and his muscular build showed itself. Applejack glanced over, seemingly approving of the build with a nod before turning back to the team captain as she collected the footballs that were used. Most others had left the field already, going to the showers while the last four players basked in the setting sun.

"I wasn't the best but I sure do think I could be a righty lineman," Pipsqueak said as he took the bottle of sports drink Applejack offered, squirting a bit into his mouth before handing it back. "I recently had a growth spurt and attempted to build muscle to match my height. I'm still getting exhausted and tired due to the suddenness as well as aches. Football… it's a good way to build character."

Spike pondered the words before quickly responding.

"I don't know, sports are just games, after all. Real stuff seems to do a better job of that, hard times. I think it's suffering that builds more character, in my eyes. Anyone who's had a perfect life, everything handed to them, wouldn't know the fruits of a hard day's effort or that life can just… be awful for no reason." Spike leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs as he looked at the ground between his feet. Pipsqueak and Applejack's eyes, as well as an incoming Rainbow, looked to him. "Making friends can be tough."

Not wasting a second, Pipsqueak gave him several hard pats on the back, not knowing his own strength. "Well, righty-o, then. Consider us mates. No difficulties involved." Recovering from almost being knocked off the edge of the bench, Spike glanced back up at the larger boy incredulously.

"R-really? Okay," Spike said, sitting upright. He checked his phone once more, seeing only two minutes had passed. Pipsqueak outstretched his hand in the direction of the phone, drawing Spike's eyes to it instead of the screen. "Huh?"

"Lemmie give you my number, no foolin'. I figured if we're gonna be mates as well as teammates, it'd make sense, right?" he said as Spike slowly handed the phone over.

"Woah woah woah, what makes you think you're on the team in the first place?" Rainbow asked as she dropped the ball bag next to the bench and leaned her elbow atop Applejack's head, causing the farmer to grunt.

Pipsqueak punched in his information into Spike's contact list and he grinned awkwardly at Rainbow. He checked the details and gave the phone back to Spike and clicked his tongue before setting his eyes on Rainbow once more. He flexed his arms which perfectly showed off his physique.

"Cap'n, look at me. You honestly think you can afford to let me get stiffed with the basketball team?" he asked, attempting to put an edge to his voice.

Rainbow stood up straight, setting her hands on her hips as she hummed in thought, squinting her eyes at the muscular boy. Her lips twisted as she hummed in thought before rolling her eyes and shrugging.

"Meh, got no witty retort for that. Good job, Pipsqueak, you're our first official lineman," she stated.

Rainbow immediately retrieved Pipsqueak's phone from his bag next to the bench without waiting for approval. She unlocked the phone and punched in hers, Applejack's and Spike's information.

"There, teammates are in… or, the official ones, at least. Applejack and I are guaranteed in this year, I mean no one can debate me being the captain, and no one throws like Applejack."

"No questions asked," Spike said, glancing down at his phone.

Two days and two more contacts; he couldn't stop a grin from being painted on his face as his body warmed up to the prospect. The face of another girl popped into his mind once more; one he speaks to not that often, but enough that his heart was completely dead set on her. She hadn't dated for her entire high school life, at least from what he could see, yet he couldn't help but feel he didn't compare to her standards. The mention of her name broke him out of a trance.

"—and she's creating our uniforms this year once more. We have to try and ask for quality, but cheap quality," Rainbow said, pounding a fist into her palm as she talked to Applejack.

"Rainbow, there ain't so such thing as 'cheap quality'. Ya either have one or th' other," Applejack argued back.

"I'm sorry, who, again? I missed the name, no offense. I was just a bit dazed there, I was," Pipsqueak said, giving Rainbow and Applejack a sheepish grin.

Spike watched intently as images of the girl flashed in his mind.

"Who? C'mon, kid, are you like, 12? She designs the uniforms for all teams in the school," Rainbow said, slapping her palm against her forehead.

"Her name's Rarity."


	3. Scootaloo's Number

Spike stood in front of the twin doors, trying in vain to contort his nervous expression into confidence or aloofness. His meek knocks echoed between the panes of glass, which were carved and curved into fantastical designs that obscured the reflection of his face. He pushed his hands into his pockets to keep from fidgeting them about, and waited earnestly for some answer. His uncertainty of whether or not to knock once more was shocked out of him as a rough hand shoved him right up against the glass.

"Move it Spike, we didn't come here to see the fancy doors!" Rainbow Dash snorted as Spike stumbled about into the vacant space on the other side of the entrance.

The doors fell noisily and loosely open as the woman behind him forced him through, causing him to lose his footing and fall onto the bright white carpeting. Rainbow Dash broke into a loud guffaw as she watched him scramble against the thick, plush rug. Spike groaned audibly as he felt at his cheek, where the abrasive imprint of the coarse fabric burned his face.

"Rainbow, quit pushin' the kid around," Applejack demanded as she came through the door herself, holding it open for Pipsqueak before closing it gently behind them.

"Are you jealous, AJ?" Rainbow Dash asked as she slunk up behind the blonde and eyed her with a cheeky grin. "Don't worry, you'll always be the most fun to tease."

"What a relief," came the sarcastic mutter of the freckled girl, which fell nearly silent beneath the welcoming bellow of the owner of the little shop.

"Ah, Rainbow Dash, darling, I thought I heard your brash voice," the woman's elegant tone rose above the mounds and rounds of fabric that hung about the room. "If anyone could drag Applejack down here for some measurements, I knew it'd be you."

Spike hurriedly got to his feet and dusted the fronts of his pants, as if there was a speck of dirt on those crisp and clean carpets. As best as he tried to delay it, his attention was inevitably drawn to the woman who floated down the stairs like some flickering feather, her gorgeously tousled hair bouncing with each step. He stood up straight anticipating her acknowledging gaze, though Applejack grouchily moseying past him.

"Let's just get this over with," the irritable blonde grumbled as she followed Rainbow Dash to the raised platform by the mirrors, which made her cringe to look at.

"Oh, Spike, congratulations on joining the team," Rarity said to the younger boy, who sheepishly grinned and almost replied too quickly for her to finish. "Rainbow tells me she thinks you have real potential."

"She did?" Spike blinked in surprise to hear such a thing, and looked over at her team captain who was currently holding up a rather short gown against her less than enthusiastic friend, trying to envision what it might look like on her body.

"If for nothing more than target practice!" Rainbow Dash chuckled as she grabbed another dress from the rack, which would reveal far too much skin for her blonde friend's simple taste. "Nah, you're cool buddy."

Spike smiled as Rainbow Dash brushed the topic off, never much for praising other people. He felt particularly lucky to have her good faith in him, but knew he would have to work hard to keep it, considering his limited knowledge of the game she seemed to trust him to play. Applejack finally pushed her friend's invasive hands away from herself and the runs of clothing.

"We ain't playin' dress-up here, Rainbow," Applejack shook her head but smiled a bit, finding the friendly hazing somewhat comforting in the otherwise unpleasant situation.

"Well, I suppose since you're all here, we should get started." Rarity began as she reached into one of her desk drawers and revealed a long measuring tape, which she slung around her neck. "Who's first?"

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, as no one wanted to be the first to get up on the platform and be measured. It was somewhat disheartening, standing up there in front of the mirror, and can make one feel quite self-conscious as their body is examined. Applejack and Rainbow Dash glared at each other intimidatingly, and Spike shrunk behind Pipsqueak's arching height.

"Well, per'aps I'll get up there, then," Pipsqueak said as he noticed the reluctant looks of his fellow teammates and decided to take the plunge first.

Rarity extended her hand to gesture for the tall young man to approach the platform. From the raised level he could see three duplicate reflections of himself, all with a slightly different angle, from the mirrors before him. Coming so fresh into his large body, Pipsqueak was still clearly uncomfortable in his shoes and shifted around under the attention. Rarity did not hesitate to quick-step over to him, measuring tape spread through her fingers. She pulled his arms apart and out, running the long white tape along his body as she got the dimensions, which she jotted down on a little notebook that fit into the sewing kit on her hip.

Spike felt a surge of jealousy ignite within him as he watched her dainty, feminine hands touch another man, even if it was just business and strictly innocent. Spike shut it out, feeling an emotion weighing down on his chest. Closing his eyes, he let banter shoot back and forth between Applejack and Rainbow Dash as Pipsqueak continued letting Rarity take his measurements. After a brief moment of contemplating potential outcomes involving Pipsqueak and Rarity, the large lineman was soon hurried off the platform. Spike's eyes opened up as he heard a lovely voice call out the team captain.

"Rainbow Dash, please step up." Rarity gestured for the rainbow-haired girl to approach the raised ledge.

"Get ready to measure perfection!" Rainbow Dash leapt onto the platform, nearly shoving Pipsqueak right off of it. She looked at herself in the mirrors and smirked, as if it pleased her.

"Considerin' the uniform's gotta fit over your big head, Rare's got her work cut out for her," Applejack muttered snidely with a smile of her own, her eyes running down the body of her best friend. Pipsqueak passed her on his way to the door and Applejack gestured a pleasant wave to let him go. "Leavin'?"

"Yessum, practice ran a bit longer than I expected. I'll see you later." Pipsqueak smiled warmly as he waved goodbye the the rest of them, even though Rainbow Dash did not acknowledge his exit.

"Oh, quit bitching. You're up next, AJ," Rainbow Dash continued on her conversation, and Applejack just shrugged as she heard the bell above the Boutique door ring out to signal Pipsqueak's leave.

"If it were up t'me, Ah'd wear my brother's hand-me-downs," the simple farmer explained, putting her hands onto her hips.

"Yeah, except he's bigger than you in every way but what counts," Rainbow Dash mimed extensively large breasts on her own chest, exaggerating the matter.

Applejack bit back a laugh at the horrified expression on Rarity's face and the sheepish blush that Spike displayed, shaking her head as she told her captain, "Mime your own fake tits, RD."

"You know, this would be a lot easier if you weren't moving so much," Rarity hurriedly directed them on topic, struggling against Rainbow Dash's constant movements and posing in the mirrors.

"Sorry Rarity; if Applejack's staring, I want to give her a show," Rainbow Dash explained with a quick sly look back to her now flustered teammate.

"Ah ain't starin'!" Applejack nearly shouted as she averted her attention away, crossing her arms defiantly, "Just hurry up s'we can get outta here."

Spike blinked in surprise as Rarity flashed him a subtly amused expression, something he had not been expecting from her during her business hours. After another few struggles to get accurate measurements, Rarity finally finished jotting down the necessary lengths for Rainbow Dash's uniform. Though initially reluctant to give up her position atop the pedestal, the football team's boisterous captain eventually hopped back down to ground level. Applejack pretended to have not been paying attention as her best friend grabbed her still crossed arms, shoving her towards her fate.

"All right, Applejack, your turn. I'll make it quick and painless," Rarity vowed as she stepped out of the way to make room for the less than enthused girl.

"I was going to say the opposite," Rainbow Dash murmured into Applejack's ear, though she had to duck suddenly to dodge a wild swing the freckled farmer intended for her.

"Zip it, missy," Applejack shrugged the snickering Rainbow Dash away from her as she stepped up onto the raised platform and faced reflected duplicates of herself in the many tall mirrors around her.

Applejack shifted uncomfortably under the watching eyes of those in the room, and the many eyes of her own reflections for that matter. She took to following the trim around the roof instead of focusing on the situation, though she squeezed at her arms in their crossed position. That is, until Rarity needed access to that same area.

Clearing her throat and staring at the anxious girl in her store, Rarity gestured for Applejack to move her arms out of the way. Applejack groaned an irritable sigh as she complied, only to tense up rigid as Rarity looped the measuring tape around her back and pulled it in front of her, closing tight around her bust. The tape fell down around her waist next, and then encircled her hips the same way her belt did. Applejack felt the need to express her concerns, though she felt humiliated to speak of such things.

"Ah know this is your job an' all, but if y'go anywhere near my crotch, Ah'mma deck you." Applejack muttered monotonously as her eyebrows dropped onto a stern stare.

"Noted." Rarity responded dully, expecting her friend to have anticipated more professional motives from her.

Applejack caught sight of her football captain staring at her in one of the reflections, and though it was embarrassing, she felt somewhat comforted by the gaze. She peered over her shoulder towards her best friend, who played with biting her lips and making interested faces as her own gaze shifted to the real girl on the platform. Applejack huffed a chuckle and retained Rainbow Dash's attention as Rarity extended her arm for an accurate reading.

"And Ah was the one starin'?" Applejack remarked as she noticed the undivided gaze of her friend, whose eyes met her own. "Why're y'lookin' at me like that?"

Rainbow Dash was not one to be flustered or caught off guard, though, and responded promptly with a smirk. "Like what? Like I wanna lick chocolate syrup off your body?"

"You _what_?!" Applejack swallowed her surprise and traded it in for the simplicity of honesty. "You ain't funny, RD. 'Sides, Ah happen t'know you're more of a caramel kinda girl."

"Don't worry, I'd lick anything off you." Rainbow Dash enunciated with a wink as her leering gaze rolled over her friend's body suggestively, much to the discomfort of everyone else in the room.

"Um, excuse me you two, but I'm finished," Rarity interrupted blankly as she hung the measuring tape back over her shoulders.

"I'm just getting started," Rainbow Dash continued, raising her eyebrows until Applejack scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Don't mind her," Applejack told Spike and Rarity as she noticed their uncertain expressions, "Al'right Spike, your turn."

"Oh, right." Spike gulped back some excess saliva, but flinched when Rainbow Dash draped her arm around his shoulders roughly.

"If she does your inseam twice, it means she likes you," Rainbow Dash winked and spoke loudly enough for the others to hear clearly as she shoved Spike forward, watching him stumble on his footing.

"Dash, must you be so crude?" Rarity asked rhetorically, knowing there was no real answer for such a question. Rainbow Dash just liked to push people's buttons.

"Fine, fine, I'll get out of your fabulously over-styled hair already," the team captain spoke dramatically as she flipped her own hair and struck an overzealous pose.

"Better over-styled than not styled at all," the fashionista murmured to herself, narrowing her eyes at the jock before her, who didn't seem to mind the mild hostility.

"Hey AJ, wanna grab something to eat? I'll get you home before midnight, I swear." Rainbow Dash held her hand over her heart as she spoke, faking some integrity.

"Yeah, Ah'm in." Applejack readily agreed with a nod, but turned back to the younger boy to extend an invitation, "Hey Spike, y'want we should wait for you?"

"Uh, no, go on ahead Applejack." Spike waved his hands up defensively, allowing them to leave.

"I'll take good care of her!" Rainbow Dash wrapped her arm around Applejack and called back like Rarity and Spike were her parents, "Later little dude!"

"Y'gotta quit it with those jokes, someone's gonna think you're serious," Applejack grumbled as she pried Rainbow's wandering hands off her body.

"Is that so bad?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and smirked as she held the door open for her friend, letting her exit before following close after her.

As Applejack and Rainbow Dash left, only Rarity and Spike were left in the boutique. A pregnant silence hung in the air as they stared at each other. Spike soon realized he was grinning awkwardly at Rarity, complete with an eye twitch while the designer was curiously staring at the boy, waiting for him to come to the platform. He coughed nervously, realizing why the silence hung.

"O-oh, sorry, I zoned out for a bit," Spike stuttered, standing up and awkwardly pacing himself towards the platform.

Rarity eyed him for a bit, rubbing her chin as Spike removed a rather thick shirt he wore, revealing a thin purple t-shirt underneath. Nodding, Rarity prepared her measuring tape as well as her notepad. Spike haplessly tossed the larger shirt onto a nearby chair and stood up straight, tensing up as he awaited Rarity's orders. Instead, she immediately wrapped her arms around his belly, fingers gently grabbing onto one end of the tape. He felt the tips gently brush against his belly through the thin shirt while her other hand was firmly planted on his hip. The contact made his body feel tingly, made worse as he felt a light breath from Rarity through the back of his cheap shirt. The boy gulped, doing his best not to shiver from the light contact.

For as long as he knew her, Spike had always been enamoured with Rarity. Whether or not it made sense didn't matter; Spike felt an attraction towards a beautiful woman who always wanted the best for her friends. Spike didn't spend much time with her, but from what he saw, and what he always heard, was that Rarity was selfless in every definition of the word… even when it didn't seem like she was.

Rarity released her hold on the tape, writing down Spike's waist-size as the boy nervously followed her. Her eyes darted back and forth, never betraying her professional attitude.

_She's only… what, 18? And she's got her own fashion boutique… and she's self-sustaining, living on her own. What does she need with a pathetic sports player?_ Spike thought, his body slumping forward as he did.

"Spike, is there any reason you're so jumpy? So… disconnected from the others?" her calm, soothing voice came.

Spike didn't instantly react to it, his eyes aiming downwards to look at the older girl's face. She still had that professional gaze as she started taking his leg measurements, writing each one down. Spike gulped and attempted to think of an excuse, only to fall flat. He opted for silence. Rarity didn't speak up which only confirmed what she thought.

"Spike… if someone is bothering you, you could always come talk to us," Rarity said, a tone appearing in her voice, threatening the professional impression she put out.

"What if that someone… isn't worth bothering others for? Or even acknowledging?" Spike responded, putting on an oddly accusational tone. His words jumbled a bit and he realized that the woman caught the error.

"Okay then. Me. Just me. Anybody bothers you, or any_thing_ bothers you, come to me." Rarity paused, setting down all materials. With a simple motion, an elegant shoe was set atop the platform just in front of Spike. Followed by another. Rarity stood merely an inch away from Spike and to both of their surprise, Spike was three or four inches taller; they hadn't seen each other or hung out much so it came as a slight shock. Her delicate fingers slid up his body and she forced his arms to wrap around her body as they hugged briefly. Spike was caught off guard and found himself blushing… and even sniffing her hair.

_Clean, fresh and smelling of vanilla_, Spike thought.

"Spike, I don't care what you perceive to be a bother; if someone is bothering sweet little Spikey-wikey… no matter how big you get, they'll answer to me. And if not, you will answer to me. You can't expect me to watch you wander around alone, do you?" Rarity pulled back from the hug and smiled warmly at Spike.

Spike could swear his heart skipped a beat and he gulped, feeling an attraction just towards those deep blue eyes. He nodded dumbly as Rarity stepped off the platform and took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Rarity," Spike said, feeling his voice crack as he chuckled.

Rarity stifled a giggle as she picked up her measuring tape, resuming the rest of the measuring. It passed by in silence, both parties letting it hang as to let Rarity focus and Spike contemplate what was said. When all was said and done, Rarity had put away all of her material, writing a few more lines on the notepad. As she slid the drawer containing all of her notes closed, she glanced over to see Spike still standing tall and straight as she has instructed minutes prior. Rarity broke into a somehow refined guffaw, having to lean on a nearby support beam. Spike giggled awkwardly, confused as he looked around him as if to spot some inside joke.

"S-Spike, I was done minutes ago, you can get down now, silly," she said, snickering as she stepped forward.

Rarity raised her arms above her head and briefly stopped walking as she stretched her limbs outward. Spike's eyes were glued to her chest as he watched her bosom gain prominence as Rarity stretched before he caught himself. He shook his head and sat down on the edge of the platform, hanging his head just in time to hear her footsteps resume as she walked over to the platform next to him. A gentle hand was placed on Spike's shoulder causing him to meekly glance over his shoulder to see that same smiling face again. He couldn't help but smile back, even if a second later he averted his gaze.

With that, Spike stood up, doing a stretch of his own. Several bones cracked as he did and he slumped forward briefly to adjust before turning to face the older woman. He extended a hand out to her and her own met his. They shook hands and exchanged satisfied smiles.

"Thank you for your services, m'lady," Spike said, grinning as he added the extra quirk to the end.

Rarity giggled once more, a tint of red appearing on her cheeks as he said this. "Ooh, my oh my, there's something you don't hear every day."

Their hands returned to their sides and they stood there awkwardly for a brief moment. Spike eventually coughed and nodded as he turned to walk towards the exit. Rarity's eyes were glued to his back as Spike slid on his sweater.

"I'll… take what you said to heart, Rarity," Spike said, waving his hand behind his head.

"Don't be a stranger, Spike," Rarity said as Spike scurried out the door.

Once outside, Spike let out a deep sigh and leaned against the door as it closed. He allowed himself a moment to think before grinning uncontrollably.

_That was decent,_ he thought.

_The words never seemed to matter much, they never stuck in his mind. They were all rude and antagonistic, and really, repeated themselves time and again through constant use. It was like any other time, when Spike was against some familiar and yet unnamed brick wall, standing in some unusually vacant lot that disappeared past certain known limits into imagination. The boy opposite him seemed much taller and more intimidating than usual, which was surprising considering his faceless, brutish friends had since disappeared._

"_That's all you got?" His voice was similar, but did not exactly match Felix's in the realm of the subconscious mind. It was deeper, more sonorous and slow, like thick wax or tar, "No wonder she chose me over you."_

_Spike never had to think to know for certain who was being spoke of, her pale, luminous face flashed before his very eyes. She did not look upon him with any smile that time, she was expressionless as a figment. Balling up his fists so tight it almost felt real, Spike growled and ground his teeth at the boy before him. Another swing flew out, but there was no adequate desired effect. Again, he swung like he was forcing every ounce of his energy into the punch, but though it landed, it felt weak._

"_Shut up!" Spike screamed over what little he could hear of the faint, murmuring words of his adversary, so quiet it frustrated him not to hear._

_Again his fists flew out, and though the boy before him bled and flinched with the force, it still felt like it was not enough. His confident smirk and unimpressed expression more unnerving than his strong body. Spike was on top of the boy then, pinning him with such broad and burly legs that did not seem like his own._

_His now bloodied fists collided again and again with the damaged face of Felix, and though he could hear the screams of bystanders, familiar ones, telling him to stop, he could not. He did not want to. A wide and malicious grin spread across his face as his eyes went wide to capture all of this divine punishment._

Spike sat up abruptly, choking and gasping for air as he felt the flavourful liquid breaching his throat. He forced another several coughs out to dislodge the obstruction from keeping him from breathing, which it was doing a marvellous job of. He gasped and gawked up at his team captain as she glared down at him, half-emptied purple sports drink clasped in her hand.

"Laying on your back is not part of the game, bub," Rainbow Dash said to him blankly as he sat up on the bleachers and tried to get ahold of himself. Before he could manage a retort or defensive shout, someone else stood up for him and smacked the rainbow-haired girl on the back of her head. "Ouch! What the hell was that for, AJ?"

"Wastin' a good drink! And scarin' the poor kid half t'death, look at him, his face is all purple." Applejack gestured roughly towards the younger boy as the team captain rubbed her sore skull.

"It's a grape flavoured drink, of course he's purple," Rainbow Dash murmured, slinking away from her strong and violent friend.

"Looks t'me like you're drownin' him." The freckle faced farmer looked down at the boy, shoving the football she carried under her arm as she kneeled closer to his height. "Y'all right, sugar cube?"

"Yeah," he managed in a hoarse and difficult voice, "I think so."

"Good," Applejack smiled warmly, before slamming her hand against his shoulder and knocking him onto his side with force. She retrieved the football from under her arm and waved it in front of his shocked face. "Now get your butt up an' join the rest o'the team in practice!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Spike scrambled to get to his feet and hurried away from the blonde quarterback, remembering that Rainbow Dash had warned him about Applejack's aim with a football.

As Spike passed the limits of eavesdropping, the pair exchanged words, "Spike… has he been practicing his kick? If he fumbles, I'll be a little… irritated," Rainbow asked in a whisper, tilting her head ever closer to Applejack.

"Oh, calm down, RD. Ah bug Twi everyday t'send Spike over t'my place. He refuses, even if Ah ask 'im directly. But Ah don't peg him for the type t'let us down," Applejack said, pursing her lips as she watched Spike head out with the rest of the team as well as few people trying out, the number having dramatically decreased once more.

"Man, that kid… and here we thought Twilight was a social mess when we met her," Rainbow muttered, rolling her eyes. "Like, seriously, what is his issue? I thought boys like, skateboarded and bragged about fuckin' bitches and whatnot."

Rainbow missed a solemn glance from Applejack as the two focused on Spike. Rainbow's eyes turned away as she seemingly contemplated something. Applejack, on the other hand, watched the team do a few warm ups from a distance. Slowly, Rainbow's gaze locked back on to Spike, and she leaned in closer to Applejack. In the distance, a faint squeaky wheel could be heard.

"Say, Applejack, could I ask you something?" Rainbow asked casually, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Uh, sure?" Applejack responded, focusing on Rainbow Dash with intent eyes.

"Has Spike seemed a bit—" Rainbow Dash would not have the chance to finish.

A giddy giggle sounded from behind her, the young, rather butch voice cracking slightly as the sound of wheels skidded to a halt on pavement. Rainbow recognized the sound of a bike or scooter screeching to a halt and slowly turned around as she felt bits of sand or gravel impact her leg. Applejack briefly turned her head before facing forward again, only to do a double take. Rainbow's eyes widened a bit as she saw who the girl was.

"Woah, Scootaloo?" Rainbow asked, turning the rest of her body around.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash!" the girl exclaimed excitedly, her voice squeaking at the height of her pitch.

Short. One could only describe Scootaloo as short; one of the few to be shorter than Rainbow Dash as well as skinnier; she wore an orange t-shirt and had a purple helmet with white-stripes on her head. Dark pink hair stuck out from under the edges of the helmet insides which was, yet again, even shorter than Rainbow's. Her chin was pointed and looked frail, keeping in tone with the rest of her body and the most defining feature; a wide smile with giant, beaming eyes.

Rainbow's mouth twitched several times, the football captain fighting back glee of her own before settling on a disinterested look.

"Hey squirt, long time no see," Rainbow said, pretending not to care too much as she faked checking her nails.

Scootaloo immediately caught on and stood up straight as she removed her helmet, setting it atop the handlebars of her scooter as it fell sideways onto the grass. The two of them were suckers for appearances, whether they knew it or not.

"Yeah, long time, bro," Scootaloo muttered, imitating the older athlete with just the same level of apathy.

Applejack watched the scene play out, stifling a chuckle behind her hand as she did. The two girls didn't speak as they pretended to act disinterested before their eyes met and massive grins broke out on their faces.

"Dammit, c'mere, squirt," Rainbow said as she pulled the shorter girl towards her, locking her head between her arm as she gave Scootaloo a nuggie.

Scootaloo laughed a bit as she pretended to fight back, flailing her arms about as if they would ever collide with the girl she admired. The two of them had been like siblings ever since elementary school, when they had been well acquainted despite their age difference. Scootaloo was the same age as Applejack's younger sister, so they were around each other quite often. Rainbow Dash released her and, just to make sure, she scanned the area quickly to check for spectators or onlookers.

"Don't get yer boxers in a knot, nobody saw ya," Applejack assured her, emphasizing her words with a firm slap on the back to her captain.

Instead of prying at the use of a masculine undergarment, Rainbow briefly flashed a smirk as she heard this before clearing her throat, composing herself once more. She couldn't look like a wimp in front of her team.

"So, kid, what're you doing here? Thought you moved to Cloudsdale?" Rainbow asked, leaning against the end of the bleachers.

"I did, I even gave it a chance, and guess what? It wasn't for me, I decided this year I would get myself kicked out of the preppy place once and for all and come back to Manehattan. Hardly took me two days to pull it off," Scootaloo held her head up triumphantly.

"Someone sounds like a little badass," Rainbow Dash nodded proudly.

"Someone sounds like a bad influence," Applejack murmured in a tease, only to be silenced by the pouting expression of the girl at the end of the remark.

"Besides, the guys in Cloudsdale are sissies; _none_ of them bothered to learn how to tackle, and their skatepark makes the one back in Trottingham look like Canterlot X-Games," Scootaloo muttered, gritting her teeth at the memory.

"Haha no kidding? Cloudsdale is gonna be a pushover?" Rainbow asked, glancing towards Applejack with a smirk. The farmer rolled her eyes skeptically, maintaining her smile.

"Without me? Hell yeah! I wouldn't even think about playing on their lousy football team!" Scootaloo proclaimed eagerly as she declared her allegiance aloud.

"Not like they'd have much of a chance anyway," Rainbow Dash beamed proudly as she ruffled the collar of her shirt, moving to the side only to present the rest of her team to the younger girl, "Behold, the tryouts for this year's Manehatten Manticores Football team!"

"Wait, this is it?" Scootaloo asked, staring dumbfounded at the small team.

"What do you mean, this is _it_?!" Rainbow asked, pouting her lip. "They can't all look as awesome as me, kid. Just give it time, AJ and I will mould them into a winning team in no time. You'll see!"

"If you say so," Scootaloo said, briefly doubting her words before agreeing.

Applejack walked up behind the much shorter girl, whose age and inexperience stunted her beneath the looming shadow of the farmer. The freckled blonde smiled down at her as Scootaloo turned around to face the intimidating upperclassman.

"Oh, right." Rainbow Dash defied any establish idea that Applejack was a threat by simply slinging her arm around the slightly taller and more defined girl. "Scootaloo, do you remember Applejack? You're still friends with her kid sister, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah. I am," Scootaloo confirmed as she recognized several familiar features between Applejack and her younger sibling, a close friend of hers.

"Tell me, Scootaloo," Applejack began slowly, though she had an idea about the answer already, "what position d'you play?"

"Wide receiver," Scootaloo nodded surely as she faced Applejack, who chewed on her lip and she played with the idea of following through with her demonstration.

"Al'right then, go long." Applejack gestured yonder, not bothering to clear the field first.

"What?" Scootaloo blinked incredulously at the sudden command.

"Ah said, go long," the farmer repeated sternly, her gaze hardening on the younger girl until she understood her role.

"You want to test her catch?" Rainbow asked, grabbing the pigskin from the bleachers, where Applejack had rested it after taunting Spike.

"An' her speed," Applejack said as she caught a ball tossed by the team captain. "An' for that matter, why don't we get Spike over 'ere."

Immediately, Spike found his name being called out as he sighed, jogging across the whole field as he completed the tire drill. On his way to the older girls, Spike paused briefly as his eyes locked onto Scootaloo. It seemed as if the boy didn't remember the girl at all as he faced Rainbow. Sweat dampened an area of his shirt around his neck. Applejack reached back and wordlessly tossed the black kicking tee over to Spike as he fumbled, juggling the black square briefly. Spike looked back up at Rainbow and Applejack as they walked towards the field, Scootaloo trailing behind. Scootaloo ran her fingers through her hair until it was slicked back from the sweat; she was not typically a girl who cared about smelling like daisies.

"You, you want me to kick it?" Spike asked as he finally stumbled after them.

"That's what y'do, ain't it?" Applejack said as Rainbow walked towards the end of the field, kneeling down as Spike tossed her the tee. "Listen, you ain't gotta be no star yet. Just give it your best, Ah guarantee you'll kick it farther than me or Rainbow could."

"Speak for yourself," Rainbow Dash muttered, setting up the ball.

"Ah have faith in you, Spike," Applejack said, resting a supportive hand on the younger boy's padded shoulder, "jus' do exactly as we showed y'in practice, routine'll keep you consistent and focused. Follow through, an' dedicate yourself t'the kick. Trust me, I ain't doubtin' you for a second."

Spike nodded with a visible nervousness to his face. "Okay, I'll try."

Giving him one more pat, Applejack smiled as she walked backwards before spinning around and jogging past Rainbow Dash to reach near where Scootaloo waited.

"Ol' comp?" Applejack asked quietly to Rainbow as she passed.

"Eeyup," Rainbow responded, grinning as her eyes centred on Scootaloo.

The girl was a little unsure of what the two were talking about as Spike arrived and took his stance. He tested the ground and was weary of Rainbow potentially yanking the pigskin back. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to focus before staring directly at the football. Scootaloo was prepped in a stance he could recognize only as a true, seasoned runner's… and oddly enough, just a few feet back out of Scootaloo's peripheral, Applejack was in a similar stance.

Rainbow signalled she was ready as her fingertips were on the end of the ball. Letting out another deep breath, Spike grunted as he pushed off the ground, dashing as fast as he could imagine as he closed the distance between him and the ball. Pulling it back, Spike swung his foot as hard as he could at the ball as Rainbow yanked her hands back to avoid a hit.

That satisfying sound of foot connecting with the leather washed away all of Spike's fear and he grinned as he watched it soar forward, not straight but close. He glanced down just in time to spot Scootaloo already ten-feet gone ahead with Applejack close on her tail. Rainbow stood up, rather dumbfounded to see the scrawny girl is not only faster than Applejack… but almost as fast as _her—_Rainbow Dash.

Up ahead, Scootaloo continued breathing, having taught herself runner's techniques as she pulled ahead of Applejack. She realized she was being tailed by the larger girl as she took off and prepared to catch it while avoiding Applejack. In the back of her mind, she instinctively knew where the ball would land, having registered the speed, trajectory and height of the kick. Her arms assumed the position as she was a safe few feet ahead of the farmer. With a good leap, Scootaloo bounded into the air, not even looking behind her as she raised her hands in the catching formation. She could feel all eyes on her—even those in the tryouts, and that excited her.

Applejack grinned as she watched the ball sail directly into Scootaloo's arms and immediately watched those same arms retract and reposition themselves tightly into her body—that ball was as safe as it could be without prying it from Scootaloo's unconscious hands.

Immediately upon landing, the shorter girl managed to stop dead in her tracks, catching Applejack off guard and pushed off, leaning back as she knew an arm would be attempting to slap down on her.

Predictably, Applejack's arms outstretched as she swung her right hand forward, about to catch the short girl and take her down. It never happened as Scootaloo ducked just enough to avoid the farmer's grasp. The shorter girl bolted in the opposite direction, but so proud of herself for dodging the first assault, her feet skidded against the grass and she nearly forgot about Applejack entirely. The farmer grinned as she wiped her brow, admiring Scootaloo's promise.

However, the younger girl did not make it much farther, as Applejack herself was no stranger to these techniques. Propelling herself in a breakneck forward motion and throwing everything into one tackle, Applejack made contact with the short young receiver's body, knocking her onto the ground with enough force to send her tumbling and rolling a yard or two further. Applejack hurriedly followed after and inspected the girl, blushing in embarrassment as she realized how she had overdone it.

"Y'all right, kido? Here—" Applejack bent down and tugger her arm under Scootaloo's raising her back up to her feet with hardly any trouble at all. "Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't mean t'knock y'like that. That was one heck of a catch, lemme tell you."

"You think so?" Scootaloo asked eagerly as she got to her feet, still clutching the ball in her small hands.

"Shoot, Ah know so. Looks t'me like we just found our new wide receiver," Applejack patted her on the back, wincing sheepishly as she noticed how hard she hit the small girl. "Course, y'still got somethin' t'learn about takin' tackles. I reckon Rainbow Dash wasn't t'good at that when I first came around neither."

"What was that?" came a brash voice as Applejack nearly fell forward and lost her balance. Rainbow Dash had made it to them and jumped onto her back, but Applejack managed to stay on her feet despite her buckling knees.

"Get offa me!" the farmer shuffled and tried to buck her friend off of her. "Can't y'see Ah'm tryn'a have a moment here with our new wide receiver?"

"You hear that, squirt? Straight from the mouths of babes!" Rainbow Dash grinned as Applejack managed to wriggle out of the hold.

"The mouths of what now?" Applejack murmured as she narrowed her eyes at the abrasive jock whose arm still lingered on her.

"So, I'm in?" Scootaloo's eyes widened hopefully and a great big smile stretched across her face.

"Anyone who can catch one of Spike's aimlessly booted missiles is good with me," Rainbow Dash pointed a thumb to herself, not even noticing the way Spike grunted irritably to hear such a remark as he jogged up to the group.

"Speakin' of which, nice kick there, buddy," Scootaloo praised him with a simple punch to the shoulder, which he had not been anticipating. "If you ever need someone to run out and fetch those balls for you, I'm your girl."

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure," Spike forced a nervous smile and played with pleasantries.

"'course, you probably don't even remember me, do you?" Scootaloo tilted her head, folding her hands behind her back and smiling a curious smirk.

"Remember you?" Spike blinked as he recalled some familiarity, but nothing solid.

"Yeah! We went to elementary school together, until my parents moved me over to Cloudsdale," Scootaloo explained as she stood on her toes then teetered to her heels, recalling something of her childhood. "Before I made friends with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, I used to hang out with... what's his name? Um… oh, Felix!"

"Felix?" Spike nearly choked on his saliva as the familiar name rang out, and a cold sweat rushed over his clammy skin.

"Back in the day anyway, haven't spoken to him much since then. But forget that, here, let me give you my number," Scootaloo snatched up his hand and pulled a pen out from who knows where, biting the lid off and finishing her sentence with it hanging from her mouth as she scribbled some numbers on his forearm. "That way you can keep me updated when practices and stuff are. I doubt Rainbow Dash will be much help with that."

"I have more important things to do than remind you when to eat, sleep and catch balls, squirt," the football captain scoffed and pretended to look busy, peering out over the field like she was doing some reconnaissance.

"Hardly," Applejack slipped out of Rainbow's lazy hold and straightened her collar.

"Enough chatting," Rainbow Dash cleared her throat roughly and changed the subject, "We have a team to whip these sorry slackers into!"


	4. Apple Bloom's Number

"AJ, explain this shit to me," Rainbow muttered out non-chalantly.

Applejack turned away from a clipboard that displayed the team matchups for the coming tournament; their first game was going to be against the Canterlot Wondercolts. Applejack had been grumbling about their luck until the proper team captain bugged her. Rainbow had a cute frown with crossed arms as if the tiny girl was trying to look tough. Applejack chuckled warmly at the prospect; she looked more like a little kid than an athlete.

"Hmm?" was the farmer's only response.

Rainbow's arms overzealously flew from their position, one hand landing on her hip as the other pointed to the field. Applejack's gaze followed to see her team as well as several others who have not been weaned out, though the number was once against drastically reduced from the previous day.

"Yeah, that's what ya call a 'football field' where you play the sport of 'Equestrian Football'," Applejack explained obviously with a lighthearted laugh and an eyeroll.

Rainbow groaned, slapping her face as she glared back at the farmer.

"No, our team. Their so-called practising is shit. The Pipsqueak Duo are—"

"The what?" Applejack wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Spike and Pipsqueak." The farmer nodded in amusement as Rainbow continued in near shouts, which would not go unheard. "The Pipsqueak Duo are on a Sunday jog; the Dumbbells are doing ballet; the lil' squirt sis of mine is running circles because the others aren't following the practise routine. They're freaking me out, they're not paying attention to the routines we taught them, it's impossible for me to get a hard-on for our first game with this kind of crap!"

Applejack whistled as Rainbow returned to her pouty, little kid expression from before as the team captain roughly sat down atop the bench beside Applejack. Somewhat amused by Rainbow's frustrations, Applejack glanced briefly back to the clipboard before tossing it aside with a rough grunt.

"Well, yer bein' too timid 'bout it. Too nice," Applejack responded plainly.

A hard elbow to the gut jolted the farmer. Applejack gently rubbed her side as Rainbow stared daggers at her.

"Timid!? _Nice_!? What the fuck? No, those pussies I treat like the enemy. If I had my way, I'd force each of 'em to stand in the boxing ring for ten seconds against me. _Really_ toughen them up," Rainbow argued, biting her lip as she growled in the direction of the team.

"Even me, if y'had me alone for ten seconds?" Applejack raised her eyebrow and leaned closer to Rainbow Dash, sparking her usual interest in such matters to calm her down, "What Ah mean is that yer trainin' methods are things that most o' them already know. Only a few of th' pack really need to cover the basics. We'll get th' basics briefly once more when we get a full team. First, we gotta ween out th' rest of th' quitters with some real trainin."

Though she seemed initially attentive after Applejack's uncharacteristic remark, she settled back into her serious face. Dejectedly, Rainbow sighed, closing her eyes as she did. Those pink eyes opened only to lock on Applejack's rather sinister expression.

"What are you getting at?" Rainbow asked, all her anger and pep gone.

"Ah jus' know a girl," Applejack responded vaguely, her smile growing as the idea came to mind.

In the centre of the field, the Pipsqueak Duo themselves were lobbing a shotput back and forth from a distance as they casually chatted. Neither seemed bothered by the heavy object with the exception of Spike, but as usual, the boy kept quiet. In the corner of his eye, he also saw the newest member, Scootaloo, literally running circles. The angle was low on the next lobby causing him to tumble forward as he wasn't focused. Pipsqueak sighed in response.

"This does seem kinda… weird, now that Rainbow Dash brings it up. This isn't really complicated stuff and we're still in tryouts. We should be doing other things to build up stamina before we start sorting out teams," Spike muttered as he pushed himself up, examining the men's shotput.

The whole field had heard Rainbow's outburst… but not what Applejack had to say. Spike's eyes remained glued on the two as Rainbow's anger-turned-to-depression shifted into utter excitement. He pondered what that meant followed by his mind wandering.

_I'm supposed to be getting tougher… Rarity's not gonna like the new Spike if there is no new Spike,_ Spike thought. His eyes wandered to the ground where he somehow found solace. _Life is kinda like a turf, right? You slip and whatnot yet it's only when you've got the right setup do you have a good grip. And in that same token… only the gifted few have the ability to take off._

Before he could continue, a heavy meteor impacted him in the side, knocking him over to the ground. With a thud, he let out a grunt as an object was thrown atop him. Reorienting himself, his eyes fluttered open regardless of the sun only to see Rainbow grinning down at him as she stood up over.

"You see that? This is why all of you wannabes are weak. Ya go down easier than Applejack after half a shot of jager," Rainbow boasted, stepping away from Spike as he stumbled to his feet.

"Why am Ah always th' butt end o'your lame jokes?" Applejack asked in a low growl, raising an eyebrow at her aggressive friend.

"Because." Rainbow Dash grinned to see her taunting bothered her, "You're so easy." There was a silence in the air briefly as Rainbow attempted to let it sink in, though she felt like going further with the statement, "As in, you're so easy to f—"

"_So_, Rainbow an' Ah 'ave got an idea t' make trainin' a little more productive," Applejack interrupted the suggestion, clasping her hands together.

"I know a productive practise we could do," Rainbow continued in a lecherous mutter, flustering Applejack in her explanation a bit.

"Well, s-since we're still waitin' on a few more t' join or be finalized, we're, uh, gonna wait until th' recruitin' session has ended b'fore we start on some finalized play practises," the farmer managed to stammer out.

Applejack adjusted her trademark cowboy hat, which she could only wear on the field when she wasn't in her helmet and running drills, as the rest of the tryouts and team members surrounded her. The Pipsqueak Duo, Scootaloo, the Dumbbells and several other faces were present. In the distance by the bleachers, Spike spotted his older sister dressed up and ready to leave; he thought she left earlier.

"Alright, anyways, Applejack and I have decided to give out some physical training via proxy. Specifically, AJ's little sister," Rainbow Dash revealed easily.

"What? Isn't she in all those construction classes? What the hell does she know about training?" one of the Dumbbells spoke up.

"Apparently a lot more than Rainbow Dash," Applejack commented as her lip curled up.

Rainbow grit her teeth as Applejack smugly grinned, revenge for her dirty jokes from earlier. Facing the rest of the group, she let out a small sigh.

"Even so, Score, Ah don't wanna see ya backin' down from what Ah say, 'cause Rainbow Dash here is th' one that agreed with me."

Applejack felt a sense of pride from the leadership as the Dumbbells all groaned in unison. Besides, she was relishing the chance to have a bit of payback at her friend, who had far too much fun teasing her than seemed natural. Applejack then noticed how Pipsqueak was stoic the whole time, nodding his head every so often while Spike seemed distracted by something far away. Scootaloo had started to grin from ear to ear the instant Rainbow mentioned Applejack's sister.

"A'ight, so we're meetin' up t'morrow afternoon not at th' football field, but at Coach Snowflake's weight room, got it?" Applejack demanded with a firm nod.

Of course, the Dumbbells were the only ones to groan. Everyone else seemed to accept it without a second thought. Spike wasn't really paying attention to begin with… so much that upon dismissal, he didn't notice anybody else start heading towards the school to change and head home. He still wore his temporary jersey as he awaited the beautiful Rarity to finish her design for this year. He felt pride swelling up when he realized he'd be wearing something she made and almost didn't want to even wear the jersey. His chin raised up as for a brief moment, he allowed himself to fantasize. A future with a woman he's loved from afar, happiness and content with how his life progressed.

Reality, unfortunately, ensued and he felt an arm wrapping around his neck, yanking him down a bit as he felt his head be squeezed against what one could describe as ping-pong breasts. A set of knuckles roughly pressed against his scalp, being dragged back and forth uncomfortably before the woman let go of him with a light shove. Spike landed on the ground, taking a moment to collect himself as he heard his team captain laughing. As he pushed himself up, he spotted a hand out of the corner of his eye. Taking it, he allowed his former attacker, Rainbow Dash, to pull him up to his feet.

"C'mon, you're a guy, aren't you? You should be doing this to me," Rainbow said, dismissing the incident with an eyeroll.

Spike simply stared at her with a gaze showing the brief tint of sadness behind his pupils. Rainbow stared at him for a second, seemingly taking it in before Spike faked a smile, as he always did, before walking by her. Rainbow slowly turned around, rubbing her chin as she squinted, deep in thought. Applejack gave a casual fist bump to Spike as the two passed each other, the boy's being more weak. Applejack walked towards Rainbow, turning to watch Spike meekly greet his sibling. They both couldn't hold back a smile as Twilight forced Spike into a hug, giggling as Spike awkwardly returned it.

"So, what is it Spike should be doin'?" Applejack asked, leaning towards the rainbow-haired girl.

"Things I want to be doin' to you, applebooty," Rainbow remarked with a mischievous grin.

"Yea', you wish, sugarcube." Applejack returned the expression and added a friendly pinch to the arm.

The two walked towards the school, collecting the rest of the equipment as they elbowed each other at each chance they got.

Spike waved as Twilight left the school, doing what he wishes he could do; stop by Rarity's house unannounced and 'accidentally arrange a sleepover', according to the girl. In reality, Spike overheard Twilight planning a massive number of hours to assist Rarity with studies as the girl fell behind a bit with her business. Spike knew that Rarity wouldn't openly ask for help like that as she didn't want to worry anybody yet Spike did anyways. He always did: making sure that he knew what made the woman smile, what made her frown, and laugh and cry; he watched her in an almost creepy fashion until he memorized many aspects of her life, her attitude, her gestures… and even her body. His face flushed at the last one and he found himself staring skyward, trying to think of birds to take his mind off the moment. The sidewalk was still there below him so he couldn't care where he was walking.

Perhaps he should have. A familiar voice sounded out as an arm was draped over his shoulder, putting a lot of weight on his body forcing Spike to slouch foward.

"Hey, Spike, buddy ol' pal, I was wondering if you could spot me a twenty. Kinda want that new War Machine film, ya know?" Felix's scathing voice assaulted his ears and Spike didn't physically do anything other than walk.

He didn't respond yet a hand clenched down on his shirt, forcing Spike to stop. Upon yanking back, Spike found himself spun around only for a set of hands to grab onto his shirt from the front, pushing Spike back into a brick wall. Felix scowled at him.

"Hey, we don't ignore friends, you fucking iguana," Felix growled.

Spike merely squinted in response, feeling a cuss on the tip of his tongue. His chest was heaving and even he knew that Felix felt that, although the bully, he was still physically not matching Spike at all… yet both knew that Spike wasn't usually one for violence. And Felix fought dirty when it came down to it; Spike found that out the hard way as he twitched, still feeling the lit cigarette being pressed into his eyebrow.

Another hand was placed on his shoulder… and by his, Spike was surprised to see it was Felix's. A larger guy behind Felix. The bully turned his head as if he were looking at a shrimp; potentially one of the many cops he had to outrun in his life. Instead, Felix had a gaze reminiscent of awe and a brief stint of fear; not only was Felix the shortest of the three present, he was the shortest of the larger by two feet… and the larger boy's muscles were seemingly twice the width of the bully's. Spike felt his feet fall flat against the ground as Felix let go of his shirt.

Spike glanced to the side to recognize it was Pipsqueak who showed up. With a quick shove, Felix stumbled back and wordlessly declared Spike dead with a fiery glare in his eyes as he swaggered down the street, presumably to beat up a 10-year-old. Spike checked his shirt for tearing or stretching, brushing his shoulders off as red powder from the ageing brick was left as residue on the shoulders of his fleece white brand-less tee. Not bothering to adjust the green locks that dangled in front of his line of vision, Spike muttered a thanks before slowly walking down the street.

"Woah there, pal. Is that 'nyway t' say 'thank ya kindly' to your mates?" Pipsqueak asked, his voice as high-pitched and chipper as ever.

Spike curled his lips in response as he let out a deep sigh, pausing on the corner of a street. He curiously glanced down the street that resembled a near-slum, spotting a blur that was most likely Felix half a kilometer down the street.

"Sorry, I've found it hard to ask for help when the asshole that bugs me is half a foot shorter than I am," Spike grumbled, walking with an angry hunched over stance across the street.

Pipsqueak staggered after him, his boots making clacking sounds against the old brick street that had yet to be paved in to match the modern days; this was one of the oldest streets, and also one of the most infamous as a great war had once started in the general area after a murder of a royal heir had occurred here.

"Spike, don't be like that, oi. I was just trying t' be friendly," Pipsqueak muttered.

Spike glanced back regrettedly. "Are you apologizing? Don't, it's not that worth it. I'll be fine, I was just being detestable, or trying to be."

Spike shook his head and Pipsqueak silently followed. They walked away from the cobblestone brick, glancing at a poster for _Les Misérables_, only Spike really noticing the classic novel play adaption advertisement. He mentally recorded the information before having to stop by an intersection. The sky had dimmed, soothingly degrading into a fluid night sky. Spike had always preferred the time before night; twilight. Wasn't the busy day or the exhausting late nights. Just a time where it's warm yet not hot; cool yet not cold. It calmed his repugnant attitude towards the British boy next to him and he finally let out a deep sigh, his pessimism slightly with it.

"I'm sorry, I'm not a perfect guy. I could have handled him, but—" Spike bit his lip upon seeing a concerned glance on Pipsqueak's face, making Spike's face twitch with anger briefly.

_Those eyes… I see them every time I look at _them _and it never stops,_ Spike thought, averting his gaze.

The streetlamp changed, prompting the duo to cross. Spike heard yet didn't register what must have been Pipsqueak comforting his thoughts as if it really was alright. He still felt that Pipsqueak was merely trying to help out a friend with his issues. It was no different from his older sister and a pang of sadness flashed on his face as he remembered the legal term. A horn honk followed by a hand yanking him back by his collar snapped him out of his thoughts as his feet barely missed an incoming truck. He glanced behind him to see Pipsqueak frowning at him as several onlookers dismissed the moment with a headshake or scowl. Spike sighed once more.

"I suppose that deserves a thanks, too," Spike said, curling his mouth.

A brief silence solicited a chuckle from Pipsqueak. "I suppose that really is all I'll get," he said, patting Spike on the back. He glanced upwards briefly before smiling back at Spike.

"Well, thanks for not runnin' off. Just figured I could walk wit' ya a bit. Here's where I split; apartment building right here, and all," Pipsqueak said.

Spike glanced at him, attempting to smile; the whole time, Pipsqueak was just being a friend. He felt his smile attempt turn into a genuine smile and he averted his eyes, unable to maintain eye contact.

"Thank you, for today, and whatnot," Spike said, walking away as he waved his hand.

"Don't thank me; we're mates, it's what we do for one another," Pipsqueak shouted as he entered the rather small apartment complex.

Spike wandered down the street, taking the long way home as he always did. Several extra blocks just to prolong the time until after dinner where Twilight would usually be too immersed in her studying to talk to him. As he entered his home, he sighed with relief as his parents were preoccupied with late night TV while Twilight was indeed working. With that, he retreated to his room for the night.

Spike exited the changerooms, Pipsqueak following shortly after as he proudly displayed his… Cloudsdale Pegasi jersey from five years ago. Tryouts were still in full swing as they had plenty of time to choose; apparently, Rainbow always extends tryouts to be as long as possible to make the quitters show themselves easier. On the bleachers sat Twilight and Applejack as usual while the other tryouts had the same dull expression. Their number had dwindled entirely now; Pipsqueak, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow, the Dumbbells and Scootaloo were the official team members at this rate, the Dumbbells being the only ones not officially in yet. Rainbow grumbled a bit and the rest of the team waited for one of the leaders to drag them to the weight room.

"A'ight team, since yer actual captain is gein' a grumpy pile of lazy, Ah'll be yer escort f' th' day," Applejack said enthusiastically, pounding her chest.

"Escort me to our bed, please; and hey, maybe I'll escort the clothes off," Rainbow muttered slyly, making a face.

The group chuckled, all having grown accustomed to Rainbow's comments. Applejack's smiling face was burdened as her eye twitched for a moment. She clapped her hands together and then pointed towards a building by the school.

"_So_, we're off to the rec centre, y'all," Applejack tried to continue on without trouble, stepping away from the football field.

Rainbow and the rest of the team followed like it was bootcamp; right off the bat, Applejack had them marching in single-file with the exception of Rainbow whom deliberately stood at the back of the line so Applejack didn't see her; however, she had to shout her jokes.

"C'mon, march, r'else Ah'll have t'get the baton out," Applejack commanded as she threatened them with a raised finger, though she didn't really have a baton.

"You wouldn't do that AJ, we both know where that ribbed handle's been!" Rainbow shouted from the back of the line.

Applejack grit her teeth and sighed heavily, grumbling. "Rainbow, Ah swear Ah ain't opposed t'hittin' you," she muttered under her breath.

Spike found odd enjoyment in walking with the team, if only because Twilight joined in on the movement. Behind him, he heard Twilight giggling away as they crossed the Student Parking Lot towards the rec centre. Scootaloo was the only one in front of Rainbow, and like the captain, she didn't march, opting to stride comfortably.

"So, Rainbow Dash, how's sports?" Scootaloo asked like an excited little girl.

Rainbow scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Squirt, I'm not a little girl. I'm Rainbow Dash; I don't do small talk."

Scootaloo seemed taken aback, eyes slightly widened. She turned away, coughing awkwardly.

"O-oh, is that right? Haha, sorry," she spat out, stammering awkwardly.

"Naw, it's totally fuckin' rad. I mean, we've got our tiny team; but honestly, if there was 12 of me, our team would be perfect," Rainbow said non-chalantly, a subtle grin on her lips.

"If you constantly play the same card, you just get predictable," Spike said from his position, just ahead of Pipsqueak who was just ahead of Scootaloo.

Rainbow's ears twitched. "Woah, what, Spike? Are we talkin' smack? Come on, I'm no card, I'm a freaking royal flush!"

Before Rainbow or Spike could speak again, a loud shout burst from an open window, scaring the entirety of the team.

"WHAT IN THE HAY IS THAT S'PPOSED T' BE!? A BENCH PRESS!? AH CAN BENCH PRESS MORE WITH MY BABY TOE," the voice boomed.

Applejack chuckled as the rest of the team clued into the owner of that voice: a little cuter than AJ's; the same southern tone; even worse temper than the captain and farmer combined… Apple Bloom.

"Hehe, let's go, y'all," Applejack said as she entered one of the double doors to the rec centre.

The rest meekly followed, passing by the coat hanger area to see Apple Bloom scowling furiously at a younger boy known as Featherweight, weak arms yet rather tall, as he bench pressed only the bar.

"What, is that th' best ya can do? Ya come t' me with this sob story o' yours an' you give me this?" Apple Bloom scolded, throwing her whole body around with each word as she was seemingly extremely angered at the boy.

Featherweight himself was seemingly on the verge of tears as he meekly lifted the iron bar up and down several times. Apple Bloom was hunched over, covering her face with both hands before she let out a coarse, long drawn-out sigh. As she stood up and glanced forward, she spotted the group and her face brightened. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom's eyes locked for a moment and they both let out squeals

"_Featherweightthat'senough_!" Apple Bloom spat out quickly in glee as her feet patterned across the ground.

Her and Scootaloo collided in a rather rough, boyish "bro" hug as Rainbow called it. Hard slaps on the others' backs, yet only Scootaloo seemed visibly affected; Apple Bloom had twice the muscle mass on the scrawny athlete.

Apple Bloom was still short, still wore a bow in her hair, still had cute red locks… yet she was built in such a way that she'd probably outdo Applejack had they been the same age. While Applejack was merely strong from her constant work, Apple Bloom was striving to improve her fitness day in and day out. Applejack was not necessarily built, but was a force nonetheless. Calling Apple Bloom well-toned was a _massive_ understatement and once their bro hug separated, Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief. In the back, Featherweight was huffing heavily, taking a sip from her blue sports drink.

"So, what're y'doin' here!?" Apple Bloom asked excitedly. Her eyes shifted to her older sister and the other team members who looked rather shocked and nervous, excluding Applejack. "Are… are you on th—"

"Yep! As usual, I was told that I was the ace on the team, so it was only natural that—" A hand slapped onto Scootaloo's shoulder, causing the tiny girl to jump. Rainbow Dash grinned devilishly towards the younger athlete. "H-heh heh, of course, I'm second to Rainbow."

"Heh, some things ne'er change," Apple Bloom said with a giggle.

"One thing did—make that _two_!" Scootaloo grinned, exclaiming with an amazed face.

A finger poked down on Apple Bloom's rather well-endowed chest, Scootaloo giggling as she felt her finger sink into the flesh. Apple Bloom reeled back a moment, her face reddening as she covered her chest.

"W-what're you doin' Scoots!?" she asked incredulously, stammering and turning almost as red as her hair.

Scootaloo's only response was laughter along with the rest of the team. Spike watched on, finding the scene as amusing as the other onlookers.

"Wow, it's like someone cloned us. Except they haven't been wearing down your vibrator every night like we have, AJ," Rainbow chuckled, nudging the farmer in the side.

Applejack's face reddened a bit though Rainbow would never see it; a stiff elbow was lodged into Rainbow's gut, causing the girl to keel over as she chuckled to the farmer's response. Applejack was not very comfortable with her team thinking anything like that about her, especially if it wasn't even true. Pipsqueak was, as usual, stoic while Spike contemplated the room's features, grinning as he imagined himself getting ripped like Arnhoof Schwarzenfragger. The Dumbbells, as usual, conversed in on themselves.

"So that's what y'hear for? Trainin'?" Apple Bloom gathered as her sister finished explaining. "Well shoot, Ah can whip these sorry suckers into winners any darn day o'the week!"

"Ah'd me mighty 'preciative if y'could," Applejack gratefully smiled and accepted the help, which Rainbow Dash was having a hard time sitting still.

"Al'right, first off we gotta see what we're startin' with, Ah wanna know just how strong each an' every one'a them is, think y'can get'em t'co-operate?" Apple Bloom asked as she retrieved her clipboard, which held sheets of yellow paper for tracking fitness levels.

"Yo, jackoffs," Rainbow Dash leaned back at the waist and glared blankly back at the team as they screwed around boredly, "get the hell over here."

"Ah s'pose that works," Applejack huffed a few amused chuckles as the team made their way over, though reluctantly for the most part.

"Pay attention to little hot stuff over here, will you?" The captain gestured with her head towards the younger of the two Apple sisters, and Applejack frowned to hear such a remark.

"Y'better not pull anything with m'sister, y'hear?" Applejack murmured to her friend as her younger sister began explaining a few basic safety rules for working in the weight room.

"What? I wouldn't dream of it!" Rainbow Dash guffawed at such an idea, slipping her hand around Applejack and pulling her nearer, "Why would I settle for _Applejack Light_ when I've got the full flavour right here at my fingertips?"

"Oh please, like you've even had a taste," Applejack slyly remarked, which peaked her friend's interest.

"Not for lack of trying," the team captain responded as her eyes began to sink down Applejack's body and she licked her lips to imagine.

"Hey! Did y'hear what Ah said, Dash?" Apple Bloom snidely asked, and Rainbow Dash was at a complete loss.

"_Everyone needs a spotter_, yea' Ah know, RD here was askin' me t'be hers," Applejack filled in the blanks easily, and Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh of relief as the pressure was put off.

"You were listening?" Rainbow whispered as her eyes narrowed curiously at Applejack.

"Naw, who d'you think taught her this speech?" Applejack admitted with a clever smirk, shaking Rainbow Dash away from her and starting towards a bench with the intrigued captain at her heels.

On the way, Applejack noticed that Spike didn't seem to find a spotter, since there was an odd number of players on the team and Apple Bloom was too busy starting the stats sheet. Rainbow Dash glanced at the boy, but didn't want to bother him about it. The quarterback, however, wouldn't stand for any exclusions.

"Howdy Spike," Applejack smiled warmly and looked up at Spike, since he was a bit taller than she was. "Y'wanna be our third?"

"Third wheel more like it," Rainbow Dash murmured as she pouted her lip and crossed her arms.

"Oh, uh, I thought maybe Pipsqueak might—" Spike looked around for his friend, only to find him chatting with Apple Bloom, who dragged him over to Featherweight.

It made sense for her to put the two together, Pipsqueak getting a chance to acknowledge just how strong he was, and Featherweight seeing a thing or two about muscle to motivate him. Spike could hear Apple Bloom chirping and praising Pipsqueak's size, even from across the room.

"Pipsqueak, right? One more rule for guys o'your size;" Apple Bloom blushed a bit as she held the clipboard over her sizable chest. "No shirts. Yep, no shirts allowed if you've got muscles like that t'show off."

"That so?" Pipsqueak sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"You heard the lady," Scootaloo agreed as she walked up behind Apple Bloom and gave her a low-five. "Guys with arms like yours also should have girlfriends. So, you got one?"

"Go spot y'partner, Scoot!" Apple Bloom hurriedly put her hands up against her old friend's back and shoved her away, laughing.

"I have more to spot over here!" Scootaloo argued as she resisted the superior power of Apple Bloom, though she did not succeed.

"Nevermind I guess," Spike agreed to Applejack's proposition, seeing as how Pipsqueak was otherwise occupied.

Apple Bloom, after shaking off her initial fascination with Pipsqueak's less than namesake size, went around the room marking down strengths and weaknesses she would pinpoint. She managed to get all of their names and had begun marking down their physical strength, specifically how much they could bench press. Though Rainbow Dash had whined about how she was better at leg exercises, even she submitted to the examination, though she commented all the while about how she wished Applejack was wearing a skirt so she might see up it from her angle.

"Don't push it, Spike," Rainbow Dash remarked as she watched him slide another weight onto either side of the bar, the weight similar to her own.

As he easily tested it, she grew somewhat jealous of his capabilities. Another weight slid over the bar, and Rainbow Dash growled to herself, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration. No matter how athletic she was or how often she trained with Applejack, she could never match someone more sizable than herself. And that killed her to admit, even if only to herself.

"Al'right, hop on up Spike, tell me if it's too light for ya," Applejack instructed as he did as he was told, laying down on the bench and staring up at the horizontal bar.

Bracing his hands, Spike gripped the bar as he pushed lightly, having never lifted weights before. Surprisingly, he found himself having to exert a bit of force, lifting the weight Rainbow Dash had to stop at. She puckered her bottom lip, grumbling to herself as she mentally downplayed the issue. He pressed it several times before setting it back.

"Another," Spike said in an almost commanding tone.

Applejack and Apple Bloom lifted another ten pounds onto the bar and once more, Spike seemed to lift it with gusto. This occurred twice more before Rainbow's face was contorted with anger, Spike having beaten the Dumbbells.

"Yeah, s-so? You're a guy," Rainbow muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but he's bench pressin' as much as me," Apple Bloom said, a hint of praise in her voice.

Spike was grunting with each weight he lifted, most of the team looking over. Twilight was ecstatically watching Spike, quietly cheering him on.

"Come on Spike, you can do it!" Twilight said, her eyes shifting between Spike and a How-To book on cheering.

Spike's face had reddened, although not from the weight and blood rushing to his head. Twilight's cheering was causing him to feel flustered and think of times where cheering had been used to highlight how different he was.

_Iguana, Godzilla, Geico Gecko._

He grit his teeth as he tried to repress the memories, almost shouting his next words as he commanded another few weights. Applejack, Pipsqueak and Twilight detected the edge in his voice and they had to force back a tiny frown. Everyone else remained oblivious, especially Rainbow due to the irritation swelling in her mind.

However, before Apple Bloom and Applejack could move to grab new weights, Rainbow's hand landed on the horizontal bar as it bent down closer to Spike. She applied more pressure and felt his muscles twitching and giving way, the weights lowering nearer to his body.

"How's that? Enough for you, bub?" Rainbow Dash sneered with narrowed eyes, pleased by his struggling expression. She didn't intend to be too cruel of course, she just wanted to bother him the way he had bothered her.

"Rainbow!" Applejack's loud voice nearly threw her off balance, almost causing her to fall right onto the weight. As she accidentally pressed harder due to the surprise, Applejack's hand grabbed under the bar between Spike's shaking grips, holding it steady against all the pressure. "What are y'doin', that's danger–"

"Did you jus' do what Ah think y'did?!" Apple Bloom's voice bellowed louder than Applejack's, and everyone else cringed to hear it. "Do y'have any _notion_ of how dangerous that is?"

"I–" Rainbow Dash blinked dumbly as Applejack lifted the bar back onto the rest, raising Rainbow back to her feet in the process.

"Y'just don't even think, do ya?! Ah dun told ya Ah ain't puttin' up with that shit in ma weight room, do Ah make myself clear?!" Apple Bloom didn't even give her a chance to respond. "Spike could'a been hurt! What kinda team captain doesn't give care 'bout th'safety of her players, y'tell me!"

Rainbow Dash's face was still, her whole body rigid. With wide, glistening eyes, she swallowed the lump in her throat that threatened to ruin her reputation in from of her entire team. She looked around to see everyone staring at her, and could feel heat rising to her face from humiliation. But Apple Bloom was not finished with her yet.

"Big Mac was right 'bout you, yer a reckless brat an' you don't give two cents 'bout anyone's well bein' do ya?" Apple Bloom went on, and Rainbow Dash struggled to deter the salts that moistened her eyelids.

Rainbow's eye hit Applejack's, as she was standing right beside her sister. Her expression too was stern and scolding, and it twisted Rainbow Dash's stomach up into a great big complicated knot. The one thing she never wanted to do was disappoint her freckled friend, and having her glare her way like that, it was crushing. But suddenly, the pressure was gone, and Applejack's eyes softened on hers. She could clearly see the embarrassment and regret in her expression, and what's more, she noticed the brimming tears that she was too good at holding back.

"An' another thi–" Apple Bloom was about to shout again, but her older sister's hand dropped on her shoulder suddenly.

"Ah know it ain't right, but Ah'm sure she didn't mean no harm, give her a chance to apologize, lil' sis," Applejack's voice was so calm and considerate, it almost made Rainbow Dash break out into sobs.

No matter what trouble Rainbow Dash seemed to get herself into, Applejack was always there with that cursed good nature to bail her out. Rainbow Dash chewed up her pride at last and released her clenched up fists, though she hadn't even noticed them ball up in the first place. Putting on that usual aloof facade, Rainbow Dash forced an attempt at a smile.

"I didn't want to hurt the guy or anything, I just wasn't thinking, that's all," Rainbow Dash blinked away her near tears and stood up straight, pointing a thumb at the irritated Spike. "I forget sometimes that not everyone is as daring as I am, I mean, I'm a glutton for punishment, what can I say?"

"That don't make it better, Dash," Apple Bloom growled as her glare settled on the athlete again.

"Come on, it was just some stupid friendly teasing. Won't happen again, I promise." Rainbow Dash nodded surely and slapped her hand onto Spike's head, who glared at her and grumbled something incoherently.

"Y'make sure o'that, keep an eye on her, AJ," Apple Bloom told her sister, looking up to the older girl expectantly.

"She does that anyway," Rainbow Dash joked, but shrugged and forced a bashful grin as Apple Bloom shot her another glare.

"So, Spike can bench press 315 pounds; that's actually rather good. Have ya taken any weight room classes b'fore? Went t' th' gym?" Apple Bloom asked, allowing her indomitable rage to be suppressed for a moment.

Spike sat up, frowning for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I just sorta always been like this. I figured I should be a bit built for—" he caught himself before revealing too much. He gulped for a moment and averted his gaze from Apple Bloom. "For reasons that, heh, I've forgotten."

"Man, Spike, you stutter a lot," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.

An elbow once more hit Rainbow in the side but it wasn't as playful as before… and it was from Twilight. She had watched the whole fiasco and didn't think that the additional weight Rainbow put on would bother Spike… but the comment bothered her. Spike wouldn't show it; he was rather subtle about things typically but she knew. Out of them all, all the friends over the years… Twilight was the one that understood most.

"Rainbow Dash, Ah wanna see how you've been handlin' their football trainin'," Apple Bloom demanded with a booming voice.

The woman jumped a bit due to the previous chastisement. She gulped, nodding wordlessly much to Applejack's amusement. With the bench press testing over, the rest of the team flooded out of the room, along with Featherweight, slowly until only Applejack and Twilight were left, Spike still sitting on the bench in silence. Twilight seemed shocked that Applejack was still there, and visually struggled to explain why she herself was still there. A simple hand on Twilight's shoulder stopped the scholar from over thinking too much and a solemn gaze from Applejack slowly clued her in, yet the farmer still said it anyways as her gaze shifted to Spike. Spike's attention turned to Applejack as she cleared her throat, stepping closer.

"Spike, 're you okay?" Applejack asked in a soothing voice.

Spike nodded his head and put on a smile yet both girls could tell how absolutely fake it was. Briefly adorning a scowl, Applejack knelt down and looked directly into Spike's eyes, setting her hands on his shoulder.

"Spike, Ah can tell a lie easier than you can pretend." The words sunk in for a moment as Spike averted his gaze again, looking down at his lap. Applejack wouldn't have that and a finger on his chin tilted his head so he was looking at her. He was gritting his teeth, his teeth and fangs barring themselves as his odd, slitted eyes seemed sharper. Applejack winced as she realized she may have been demanding, but she couldn't falter. "Are you alright, Spike?"

He shrugged his shoulders, forcibly removing Applejack's hands from his him as he sighed deeply.

"We should probably go," he said, standing up and forcibly walking past Twilight and Applejack.

The two girls exchanged a saddened look and Twilight looked like she was about to cry. Applejack walked over and hugged her briefly.

"He takes a bit to come 'round, doesn't he?" Applejack asked, adding a light chuckle.

Twilight snorted, also chuckling. "Yeah… he does. He needs some time… and a push."

With that, the two girls left the rec centre and followed after the rest of the team.

Apple Bloom was fuming. Her face was going beet red as she grit her teeth, cracking the clipboard she held. Rainbow Dash was legitimately nervous, making sure that Applejack's baby sister wouldn't explode randomly… or god forbid, explode _twice_.

"This is the kinda way you're trainin' 'em!?" Apple Bloom asked, baffled as she whipped the clipboard into the ground, causing an edge to be lodged in the turf. "It ain't no wonder Ah see s'many flabby bellies!"

"Flabby bellies? The only flabby belly I see here is Spike's." Rainbow grinned and poked him, causing him to flinch irritably.

Spike had been the only one to not go practise since they didn't have a good net for practising kicks.

"Applebloom, not everybody's used t'this kinda labour," Applejack explained calmly, wondering if it was such a good idea to get the hardest screw to train her teammates. "B'sides, everyone's got their own limits an'—"

"Then push 'em!" Apple Bloom shouted, getting right into Applejack's face. "You always raised me t'be the best Ah could be, sis!"

"And look at y'now, shoutin' at me an' tellin' me off," Applejack retorted, frowning a bit as Rainbow was in the back struggling to stay standing as she laughed, watching the scene unfold.

"Y'know Ah'm right!" Apple Bloom said as a response, crossing her arms.

"Y'ain't wrong, you just ain't goin' about it too good. But Ah did call y'down here for a reason, and Ah s'pose Ah should take your advice." Applejack turned to the rest of the team and faced Rainbow Dash, grinning maliciously as the rainbow-headed girl raised an eyebrow. "We could all stand to work a mite harder."

"Aww, man!" Rainbow said, her whole body slumping as she collapsed to her rear on the ground, lazily spreading her legs out. "Does me being your favourite mean I get to cop out, AJ?"

Spike bore a small smile listening to the bickering. Even if he wasn't truly involved, he felt like part of the gang. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scootaloo zip by at her top sprinting speed without stop. She was honestly either almost or as fast as Rainbow Dash was with no signs of stopping. Rainbow subtly smirked, nodding her head as the two athletes' eyes met.

"No one's coppin' out, Rainbow," Applejack said in a firm voice that seemed to leak where Apple Bloom got her vicious tone.

Rainbow pouted, grabbing a nearby nerf ball. "I blame you, Spike," Rainbow said as she chucked the ball awkwardly. "You and that flabby belly."

The ball spun wildly in the air, not at all like a proper football toss. Spike effortlessly snatched it out of the air before the ball hit Applejack in the face due to the terrible throw. Apple Bloom faced the field once more, briefly focusing on her childhood friend zip around like a bullet. She snorted once and her face considerably lightened.

"Alright then!" Apple Bloom said. She turned to Applejack and Rainbow as the latter was busy picking out blades of grass in her pouty mood. "Ah wanna join yer team!"

Applejack waited about half a second before responding.

"Eenope."

Apple Bloom's response was nothing short of stunned at the sudden, instant rejection before her dominant attitude turned into the younger sister attitude for once.

"C'mon, sis!" the shorter, red haired girl whined loudly, stomping her foot like she was having a hissy fit. "Y'know Ah can be a valuable part o' the team, gimme a shot!"

"An' why, may Ah ask, are y'suddenly s'darn interested in playin' football?" Applejack skeptically raised her eyebrows, towering over the younger girl with her hands on her hips.

"Scootaloo is on the team," the younger of the two sisters argued as if it was relevant, and Applejack sighed aloud.

"That's your reason? 'Cause your friend's playin'?" The blonde quarterback frowned, knowing that she prefered to have players who were in it for the game more than to pal around.

"Everyone's got their own reasons, AJ." With a familiar Apple family scowl, the younger sister imitated the older farmer's pose with a pouted lip before defending herself. "Ah'll work real hard, Ah promise!"

"Ah can't play favourites, Apple Bloom," Applejack told her sincerely, her eyes softening on the disappointed face of her sibling.

"Then don't!" The sisters flinched as a third voice joined their conversation, and the rainbow-haired captain stepped up right beside Applejack. "Just let the kid show us what she's got, and I'll make the executive decision. If she's anything like you AJ, she'll be a force to reckon with."

"Yeah, yeah, al'right," Applejack finally caved, raising her hands defensively as Apple Bloom began to cheer a bit. Staying on topic, she continued and asked. "Y'know much 'bout positions?"

"Ah'm a lineman!" the young girl exclaimed proudly, balling up her fists and getting into an aggressive stance.

"A lineman?!" Her older sister blinked with surprise, and immediately her protective instincts chimed in. "Applebloom, you tryn'a get y'self hurt?"

"Nah, Ah'll be the one doin' the hurtin'!" Apple Bloom pointed an eager thumb to herself, and Rainbow Dash snickered out loud as she recognized a similar fire between the two girls, even if Applejack might deny it.

"I like her attitude," Rainbow Dash muttered to her friend, leaning closer until she was ruthlessly shoved away.

"Don't encourage her," Applejack growled with an accusing look.

Rainbow shrugged before forcing herself to stand straight as she stretched, several bones cracking. Applejack's eyes were seemingly locked onto Rainbow as her small breasts poked through the cheap sports jersey from last year that she managed to wear down over a summer. Averting her eyes to speak, she took a deep breath.

"Listen, Apple Bloom—" Applejack bent down and rested her hand on her little sister's shoulder, even though she was not much shorter. "True strength don't come from tryn'a inflict damage on someone, this ain't a fight or nothin', ain't gonna be much of a lineman if you're seein' red all the time. Trust me, a lineman's job is about protectin' or rescuin' the ball, and holdin' off the enemy, not crackin' skulls."

"I'd take that advice if I were you," Rainbow Dash agreed passively, looking away from the pair as to act indifferent. "Applejack actually knows a thing or two; you know, when it suits her."

"Thanks for the support, RD," Applejack chuckled sarcastically to hear the double edged compliment, but turned back to her kid sister, "Ah ain't no lineman m'self, but Ah gotta rely on them t'keep me safe. Now, can Ah rely on you, little sis?"

"You bet'cha!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. She turned to the field, grabbing a nearby megaphone and immediately, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Spike covered their ears along with the nearby Twilight.

"**Ya'll losers get on over 'ere so we can show ya a demonstration**," Apple Bloom declared.

That got the attention of everyone present, six teachers by a window in the school and the Automotive Dealership across the street. Slowly, the rest of the team jogged over with the exception of Scootaloo whom darted across the field. Upon reaching the edge of the track, she leapt into the air in a diving motion and finished it with a tuck and roll, stopping in a very casual sitting position at Rainbow's feet.

"'sup?" she asked, successfully getting a pat on the head from Rainbow Dash.

Apple Bloom discarded the megaphone randomly as the team surrounded her, the only ones seemingly disinterested being the Dumbbells; one could wonder why or how they stayed here.

"A'ight, Ah want one demonstration showing what we have t'do on defense since it's clear th' Manehatten Manticores may not break more than 12, least 11. First off, Ah wanna get th' team captain, th' Runnin' Back, Rainbow Dash, to take th' football and attempt to pass our four linemen, an—"

"We've got one lineman, actually. Those three dumb-dumbs aren't official members," Rainbow said, punctuating each word with a finger wag.

"That's dumb," Apple Bloom muttered. "Whatever, y'all go stand at th' 30 yard line. Who's yer tight end?"

"I 'unno. Got none," Rainbow said, lazily grabbing old football gear and a helmet.

She put it on and the linemen followed suit, however Pipsqueak's gear was rather comically too small. His belly wasn't covered prompting a chuckle from most of the team as they waltzed out onto the field. Spike watched idly as the team recieved further instructions from Apple Bloom.

"Ah won't be joinin' so yer without a centre, so you four linemen have to make sure you cover the area. Stand firm, bend your knees, keep arms flexible and make sure you attempt t' grab **th' paddin'**; Ah don't want my sis' girlfriend t' be groped accidentally," Apple Bloom muttered.

"H-hey!" Applejack shouted from the sidelines, her face growing red.

Rainbow Dash had a predictable response, laughing as she adjusted the strap around her chin. She stood at the centre field as Apple Bloom continued.

"Spread out if ya want; yer objective is t' take down Rainbow. If she gets by ya, you lost th' play. Tackle 'er, that's a down." Apple Bloom bit her lip for a moment, glancing around the area as her small speech stopped suddenly. Her eyes fixiated on a person and she pointed a finger.

"Spike, get yer gear on; you're our tight end for th' play," Apple Bloom shouted. She looked around for a whistle to blow, shrugging when she didn't find one. She put the tips of her thumb and index finger in her mouth and whistled that way as Spike stumbled about, grabbing his cheap gear. "On th' double, yer th' only one who has the build other than AJ."

_I'm coming, fucking hold on,_ Spike thought and opted to hold his tongue, the demand agitating him as he rushed to get his gear on.

Spike was jogging onto the field, finding a spot behind the general area of the linemen as he finished tightening his helmet that someone must have left behind a few years back. He took a deep breath as he checked his footing; he spread his legs, bent his knees, made sure his hands were out but not too far and crouched a bit. He was in stance and opted to be the last line of defense stopping the team captain from zipping by.

"Ready?" Apple Bloom said, preparing to whistle once more.

The tension seemed to double with that one word and Spike felt his heart pounding for two reasons; said tension, and some of the words the team captain spat out of her mouth… and some of the actions too. Gritting his teeth, he realized he forgot his mouthguard and sighed, resigning himself.

Apple Bloom's whistle was loud and heard by all and immediately, Rainbow Dash broke out into a mad sprint from her position. The linemen in front converged on her location with two of the Dumbbells moving a bit faster as if to not make it one wall she had to pass. As she approached, they had a burst of speed in their step as Hoops lunged forward, directly at his target. His arm was just in front of the centre of her chest merely two feet away with Score on the opposite side, acting as a pincer attack… yet he was several feet back, and that was all that it took.

Rainbow, with the skill of a ballerina and the finesse of a trucker, did a quick twirl, spinning her body seemingly around Hoops' hand followed by her ducking her head, avoiding Score's flying tackle. Score wound up colliding with Hoops and tumbled to the ground, Apple Bloom with a face of utter shock that quickly morphed into intense rage.

"Are ya freakin' serious!?" the younger Apple sibling growled, clenching her fists.

Dumbbell and Pipsqueak served to be a bit of a different story; Dumbbell was prepared and anticipating the faster speed of the team captain and didn't try confronting her, opting to make use of shimmying side to side. Pipsqueak didn't have to; he was a veritable wall of death to any running back. There was absolutely no going through this line even with the gaping large gap; the both of them could cover it and Rainbow knew this. She opted for taking a suicidal move and clenched the ball closer to her chest but took one hand off of it.

Grunting, Rainbow leapt into the air in a diving motion, taking a note from the younger athlete moments prior to which Scootaloo beamed with glee. Neither lineman wasn't expecting it; that added with the fact that they haven't been linemen for more than a week caused them to fumble a bit with their hands. Rainbow leapt over Dumbbell as he swung his arm down, having thrown it too high in order to anticipate the jump while Pipsqueak was having his inexperience with his size catch up to him. With her free hand, the running back shoved Pipsqueak's arm downward causing the boy to stumble. Rainbow practically dove through a hole in the "impenetrable" wall of death and rolled onto the ground. She lucked out as Pipsqueak and Dumbbells' linemen inexperience and lack of true speed caused Rainbow to grin as she rolled to a crouching position.

Shooting off, she burst into another dash, immediately on her fast feet once more. Spike hadn't anticipated this much of a one-sided confrontation but it was all he needed to know; Rainbow was his responsibility.

"Flabby belly, huh?" he muttered, gritting his teeth as his face contorted with rage.

Rainbow was grinning as she darted directly towards Spike. It was a game of chicken; who would move to the side first. Spike rooted his feet and flexed his fingers as the distance rapidly closed between him and the running back. As she got in front of him, she, as usual, quickly sidestepped shifting her to Spike's right. He was still facing forward by the time that it looked like she would zip by him. He growled as he stepped forward and thrust one hand outward, preparing his fingers to latch onto anything they could. Swinging his arm, he let out a shout as his hand connected with Rainbow's abdomen and he latched onto her jersey and pads, maybe even her skin. He grunted as he took another step, feeling all of her speed die.

Rainbow let out a thick grunt as the wind left her lungs, all her momentum dying as her legs and arms swung forward as she felt herself being tossed back. Spike thrust his arm forward, letting go of the uniform as Rainbow was thrown back several feet, rolling several times before she stopped in the dirt.

"Rainbow!" Applejack sprinted across the field in a matter of seconds, skidding to a halt in front of the downed football captain. She got down on her knees and crawled to her friend's side, peering down at her concernedly, "Rainbow, are y'okay?"

Scootaloo followed immediately, showing the same amount of concern as the farmer.

"Mmm—" Shifting against the hard ground, Rainbow Dash hummed as she felt the nearness of her friend leaning over her body. She scrunched up her eyes like she was in pain, but had another motive for keeping the attention on her face.

"Huh?" Applejack went still as she felt her seemingly wounded friend's hand press right up against her breast. In the brief awkward silence that ensued, the jock squeezed and fondled once or twice. Applejack's expression narrowed into rage and she snatched Rainbow up by her shirt collar, shaking her up and down furiously. "Why—if y'weren't layin' on the ground Ah'd knock y'darn teeth in!"

"Relax AJ, it was a joke, a joke! Man, I was only squeezing your tits without consent, I thought you'd find it flattering!" Rainbow Dash's voice raised and fell with her body as she tried to calm the farmer down, putting her hands up and adorning an innocent smile. Applejack gripped her up real close and glared into her eyes, keeping her back off the ground and giving her a menacing frown. Rainbow Dash could not resist pushing her buttons, though. "Besides, you could do a lot of things to me while I'm laying on the ground."

Applejack continued shaking the dizzy-eyed girl and shouted at her again. "Ah'd think Spike severed y'brain if y'weren't already such a punk t'begin with!"

The other members of the team approached the pair, not getting too close in case Applejack's anger was volatile enough to snap at any of them. The farmer growled and let out a hot, frustrated breath as she continued to squeeze at her best friend's shirt. Rainbow Dash however, seemed quite pleased by the situation.

"You were worried about me," Rainbow Dash mused with a great big grin on her face, pausing her friend in the assault.

"Ah was not!" Applejack denied with flustered cheeks, dropping the football captain flat onto the grass with a thud. "You're just too darn reckless, someone's gotta keep an eye on you."

"That was not my fault! You were, like, touching yourself out of the corner of my eye, I swear," Rainbow muttered, gritting her teeth.

Swearing numerous cuss words, Applejack sighed, holding Rainbow in place as she lifted her shirt up. Already, she could see a bruise forming where Spike's hand gripped her; no indication of directly grabbing the flesh.

"Woah, Spike's mere thrust alone cou—" Applejack froze, her eyes going wide as she realized how easy she had made it for Rainbow to turn that around. "No no, Ah didn't say that, Ah—"

Rainbow's lips formed a massive grin as her eyes took on a sultry tone.

"My thrust could wreck how you walk for a week," Rainbow said in a voice some could consider sexy.

Applejack brought back a fist as if to finally vent out the frustrations brought on from Rainbow's words, from anger to… more pleasant ones. However, Rainbow's eyes widened and she coughed, her smaller hands rubbing the spot with the bruise. All aggression Applejack had vanished.

"Rainbow, you sure you're okay?" the farmer asked worriedly.

Spike started to feel a pang of guilt as he saw that maybe he had done some damage, but relented as he saw Rainbow give everyone a toothy grin and thumbs up.

"Aces, but I do suggest we… uh, not do that again. At least to me." She grinned directly at Spike as several others turned to him. "Spike, you'd be an awesome tight end if we refined you a bit more. Kicker _and_ tight end. You can get my blindside as I cover AJ's blindside, which is when she's in the shower. Whaddaya say!?"

Applejack merely rolled her eyes, actually smiling at her words for once. The day was eventful and she couldn't help but smile at the scenario. Spike joined with them. Twilight was too busy reading _Equestrian Football: A Complete History: Book 1: Volume I_ to notice anything that happened.

"Sure," Spike said, shrugging with a grin.

For the first time in a while, he held his head up higher than usual.

Gasping, crawling on the ground, Rainbow was begging as she had to avoid vomiting. A sickness coursed through her body as she rolled on the ground, panting heavily. She grabbed a plastic bottle and ripped the cap off, dumping the 2-litre bottle onto her face, onto her head and into her mouth as she greedily wasted it all before laying in the grass, panting pleasantly as she sat up, feeling the glorious cold liquid drizzle down her throat. Forcing herself to stand, she disposed of the now-empty bottle as she stepped up the bleachers towards her farmer friend.

"Holy! I do _not_ have the kind of stamina for this shit!" Rainbow Dash groaned as she sat on the seat just a step above Applejack, waiting for some witty retort that never came.

Noticing her oddly dismissive behaviour, Rainbow Dash scooted over on the bleachers until her knees were lined up on either side behind Applejack. Rainbow reached down between her spread knees and looped her arms around the farmer, pulling her back and situating her between her legs. Though not expecting such a move, Applejack accepted it as another quirk of Rainbow's playful nature and raised her arms over the captain's thighs, bending at the elbow to rest her wrists on Rainbow's knees.

"Something bothering you?" Rainbow Dash finally inquired, finding the lack of usual struggle somewhat odd.

"Uh, no, just thinkin' is all," Applejack struggled to start talking, feeling her friend's hands sliding over her shoulders and supportively squeezing. Eased by the attention, she admitted her troubles. "Ah just don't know how Ah feel 'bout my little sister being out on the field with us."

"You worry too much, she's tough, she'll be fine," Rainbow Dash reminded her with a hot breath against her ear, which turned the flesh pink at the near touch. A smirk crossed her face as she felt Applejack relax against her, permitting the gentle massage. "Need a little distraction?"

"Is that what you're doin'?" Applejack asked, leaning her head back and peering up at her football captain.

"Are you complaining?" Rainbow Dash's smirk spread to a devious grin and her fingers played around with the fabric of the quarterback's jersey.

"Ah— no, but," Applejack admitted, but though she tried to make an excuse, she found herself less than willing to tell her off.

She leaned back against her friend's touch and enjoyed the pleasurable sensations perhaps a bit too much. With a quick slip of the hand, the massage went lower and back up, tempting each sore muscle. Applejack sighed comfortably and closed her eyes, the warmth of the sun paling in comparison to the delights of those agile fingers. Inevitably though, Rainbow Dash's assertive and lascivious nature commanded her to lean closer and press her chest against Applejack's back, gliding her hands forward and over her stomach. As her hands began to dip down an inch or two lower, Applejack's expression narrowed.

"Rainbow," Applejack murmured dully as she knew what game her football captain loved to play at.

"That feel good? I mean, we can always take this somewhere a little more private," Rainbow Dash tilted her head and strummed the top of Applejack's belt, only to feel her friend's hands reach down and take her own.

"You're an awful little vixen, y'know that?" Applejack chuckled as she moved Rainbow's hands back onto her shoulders, allowing her to continue.

"Mhmm, proud of it," the football captain beamed and continued, running her breezy fingers over Applejack's arms and leaning closer as she spoke so that her lips almost touched the farmer's neck.

"That tickles!" came a stifled laugh from Applejack as she tensed up defensively.

Rainbow Dash pouted as she felt her friend relax against her once more, her appealing body draped against her own. With a frustrated groan, Rainbow pressed her thumbs into her friend's back. "You can be such a tease, Applejack."

"Says the girl with'er hands all over me," Applejack countered with a smirk, looking back.

"To the girl enjoying it," came the retort, and the two left it at that for once.

Applejack hummed and mused as Rainbow's fingers dug deep into her muscles, even though she wasn't very good at it. Though she knew better, Rainbow Dash could not look away from the calm expression on the face of the girl in her hands, and only hoped her heartbeat was not too obnoxious or loud. Applejack didn't seem to mind, that is, until someone caught them in their leisure.

"Hey Applejack!" a higher pitched voice rang out and startled the pair.

"Huh—_what_?!" Applejack sat up abruptly, pulling right out of Rainbow's grasp as she heard someone call out to her. Despite her attempts to seem innocent, the blush in her cheeks betrayed her.

"You gonna drive me home today? Since Ah'm stayin' as late as you an' all?" Applebloom called, smiling this great big hopeful and oblivious smile.

"Uh, yeah, Ah brought Mac's truck, since it seats four," Applejack explained simply as her fidgeted with her hands in her lap and couldn't quite look right at anything.

"There's only two of us silly, why didn't y'bring yours?" her younger sister inquired, and Applejack chewed at her lip a bit as the answer came out.

"Ah'm givin' Rainbow a ride too," she explained slowly, realizing how normal that actually was and how little she had to be nervous about.

"Yeah, my hot rod is still in the shop," Rainbow Dash agreed as she slyly placed a hand on Applejack's head, "well, my other hot rod!"

"Y'mean besides what, me?" Applejack caught on sarcastically, and Rainbow Dash merely grinned wider and nodded in agreement.

"Well y'better hurry up an' get y'keys then, 'cause practice is over," Applebloom told them as they looked around to confirm it. "Those wimps hardly finished half of the circuit b'fore they were useless!"

"You've created a monster," Rainbow Dash murmured into Applejack's ear before standing up and stretching, strutting long strides down the bleachers with the farmer's eyes glued to her. In a yawn, she continued, "Besides the one in my pants."

Applejack huffed an amused laugh as she furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, getting up to her own feet.

Sighing, the trio made for the showers to wash off and put away all the materials, being the last ones out on the field. The boys had already washed up and Scootaloo simply rode home after bidding her idol farewell. In the showers, Applejack noticed Apple Bloom wander off to a corner which bothered her for two reasons; she was nervous, and Rainbow was also in her shower stall. She attempted to ignore it but a warm, soapy hand brushing groping her chest from behind caused the farmer to let out a yelp and instinctively cover herself up as she spun around, facing Rainbow.

"Before you ask, I mentioned me covering your blindside in the shower and I simply didn't wanna be a liar," Rainbow said, carefully wording her little speech as she slowly backed away into the stall next to Applejack's.

"Yer incorrigible," Applejack said, rolling her eyes with a grin. Luckily, her red face was masked by the steam.

"Hehe, exactly. You've got no choice but to conform," Rainbow said.

"Not bloody likely," Applejack muttered with a chuckle.

The trio finished and left the school as the sun was in the final stages of setting. The sky was turning a dark blue. The siblings and the extra piled into the pickup truck as Applejack fumbled with the keys, then with the older engine. The truck roared to life and Rainbow sniffed the air.

"Now that is a truck," the athlete said, her mind reeling with nostalgic memories. "We gotta hang out on the farm sometime; it's been too long."

Applejack glanced over to Rainbow Dash, seeing a genuine smile with no ulterior motive to it. The farmer smiled and nodded her head.

"Yeah."

"So when we hang, I'll let you be the first to tie me up since you're good with ropes and all. It'll be hot, yo."

And there it was. Applejack had to stop a moment to reconsider her entire life and friendship with the athlete beside her, much to Apple Bloom's annoyance.

"Can we jus' get outta here?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Aha, s-sorry lil' sis."

As she turned the truck out of the parking lot, Applejack noticed Spike wandering down the street in the direction of his house. Twilight left earlier, driving herself in her mother's station wagon. Applejack only knew where he lived because he lived with Twilight, but she knew it well enough to know it was hardly out of the way. Pressing on the gas slowly, she drove nearer up behind him, until Rainbow Dash caught sight of him.

"Hey, there's that spiney-headed runt!" she shouted as she grabbed the wheel and yanked it towards the pavement, nearly making Applejack drive right up onto it.

"Yea' Ah'm tryn'a give 'im a lift, not drive 'im over!" Applejack shouted as she regained control of the wheel, though by then Spike had already whirled around and gawked at the swerving vehicle.

"Heya, bub, need a ride?" Rainbow Dash leaned out her window and called to him, though he just stared at her incredulously. He started to make up an excuse, but Rainbow Dash wouldn't hear of it. "Get the hell in before you get AJ's headlights rammed up your ass!"

"He almost did," Applejack reminded her in a grumble as Spike nodded furiously and hurried to the rear door.

Applejack had to open her own door to permit the rear one to open, since the handle was hidden beneath the overlap of the driver's side door. He climbed in beside Applebloom, whose arm rested on the windowsill and had warned him the other side was occupied. Sighing in relief, he pulled the seatbelt over his chest and buckled it in, shyly glancing up to the front of the vehicle. The voice that spoke, however, did not speak to him.

"Hey AJ, why don't you let the kids drive," Rainbow Dash reached over suddenly and placed her hand on Applejack's thigh, slowly and sensually running it up higher towards a guarded goal, "and the two of us can have some fun in the back seat?"

Applejack glanced down at the action curiously before responding, and as blankly or apathetically as she could muster, "Y'go any further up m'leg an' you're gonna make me slam on the breaks."

"I'm wearing my seatbelt, don't worry," the football captain assured her, when a nasty image tangled up into her mind that she just had to share, "In fact, I'm down for a little rough bonda—"

"There're kids in the car, y'pervert!" Applejack interrupted her hurriedly, glancing at Applebloom in the mirror to be certain she had not been too curious to ask about Rainbow's flirtatious advances.

"So, later then?" Rainbow Dash pouted cutely, but stopped as she felt Applejack take her hand in her own.

Applejack's fingers wrapped around Rainbow's and she lingered in her own lap for a few seconds before lifting the captain's exploration off of her. Placing Rainbow's hand in her own lap, Applejack gently squeezed their contact tighter, surprising the rainbow-haired girl into silence. Rainbow Dash stared curiously at their hands before Applejack let go, but didn't get the chance to bring it up.

"Ah ain't no kid, Applejack!" Applebloom denied adamantly, glaring at her older sister in the mirror, dropping her red eyebrows onto her eyes dangerously.

"Ah'm makin' a point y'little brat," Applejack teased her, though the younger girl did not poke at it any further. Instead, she turned her attention to the only boy in the vehicle.

"Hey, you're Spike, right? Twilight's little brother?" Applebloom asked as she leaned forward to get a better look at the boy beside her.

"Uh, yeah, that's me," he agreed with a forced smile, feeling awkward with his backpack sitting on his lap the way it was. He was not used to accepting rides from anyone, but he honestly feared Rainbow Dash might run him over otherwise.

"Spike, I'll cut it short. Gimmie yer number; we're on th' same team an' I'm sorta all y'all's trainer since Applejack has gone soft on us," Apple Bloom said, an edge added to her voice on the last few words.

"I can make it hard again," Rainbow shouted, reaching over towards Applejack's chest once more.

"Goddammit, Rainbow," Applejack muttered as she slapped the hand away hard.

Spike felt his cheeks grow warm and his chest tingle. He grinned as he pulled out his mobile and he and Apple Bloom briefly exchanged phones to enter in the others' number. Spike noted the rather dated device, as well as it being Applejack's mobile five years prior. Quickly, he punched in his info and handed it back to Apple Bloom, smiling. He got his phone back and briefly saw the contact list, smiling.

_Eight numbers,_ he thought.

Glancing over to the sibling, he grinned from ear to ear as the driver and passenger bickered.

"Thanks," Spike said.

"Don't thank me, it's what friends 're for," Apple Bloom beamed.

_ Friends… heh._


	5. Snips, Snails and Featherweight's Number

It took Rainbow Dash more than long enough to admit that she really needed to grant some players member status. She decided having a set of linemen was rather important in the end, so she allowed the Dumbbells to join officially. Yet they were still rather short on members. With their first game imminently near, she really couldn't afford the luxury of being picky.

Fortunately, Rainbow had spotted something the previous day. Featherweight. He was jumpy… and that was it. When Apple Bloom let out a bellowing chastisement on her, Rainbow had saw the boy in the back of the room literally jump several feet in the air. Match that with his height and long reach, and you have sold yourself to a desperate Rainbow Dash.

How it went down was something reminiscent of a kidnapping straight out of gangster films; drive by, yank into the vehicle, speed off. The difference being that Pipsqueak was the vehicle and snatcher, yanking the boy out of class the next day. Propping the photographer up on a chair in a darkened room with a spotlight, Rainbow grabbed a fedora and sunglasses, attempting to grill Featherweight until he joined. It took her mentioning the Equestrian Football team for him to say 'yes'. Befuddled, the rainbow girl furiously yanked the boy out to the field.

Immediately, Featherweight wordlessly agreed to Rainbow Dash's demands and took off running down the side of the field the instant their quarterback launched the pigskin into the air. She deliberately gave it some spin and threw it to the side forcing the tall, thin Featherweight to use his head. Rainbow stared with a bit of shock when she saw Featherweight zip off in one direction while the ball seemingly arced to the left, only to start smiling when the football's trajectory was headed directly towards where the boy would be. With a swift jump, Rainbow saw Featherweight leap three feet into the air which made her grit her teeth; she could only jump far on account of her speed. As the boy returned, he wordlessly tossed the ball over to Rainbow and silently walked away, pulling out his camera.

The next, and last thing she had to do was find an 11th player… and maybe a backup. But she was at a loss until _it_ happened.

Snips and Snails; tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumb; the dynamic duo; two sides of the same coin that permits entry to the glue factory. During many of her precious seconds figuring out how to seduce Applejack, Rainbow Dash had spotted the two chucking a basket ball around in the gym… specifically, after school hours. She knew that they weren't terrible troublemakers, young and stupid sure, but she also knew they were… well, _boys_. She took a photo of the scene with her mobile phone and decided to follow them the next day.

Expectedly, she discovered that they had gym class and, just her luck, they happened to be playing dodgeball. She wondered if the stereotypes would permit them to be the last picked but immediately, they were in the first five to be picked. Curiously, Rainbow pressed her face against the thick glass separating the gym from the school's main hallway. Upon start, she grinned as she saw that not only were they not troublemakers, that they were boys; they could _catch. _And the tall and lanky boy, Snails, could even run. Rainbow watched as they dominated the game of dodgeball; catches, throws yet in the end, they were still boys.

"Watch it, you peabrain," Snails shouted as he roughly slammed into his friend.

"Hey, you watch it. _I_ was dodgin' to this spot," Snails shouted back as they pushed each other back to avoid a ball.

They weren't star players, but they had the qualities she needed to fill up the last spot. They were like a watered down version of Spike, lacking the muscle and speed but they severely ousted him when it came to catching, and if need be, Snips could easily be a replacement lineman due to his larger build.

A brief scuffle occurred in the gym spurring the teacher to send the two boys to the office. Jogging down the street, gripping the clipboard showing football team members and pickup lines she wrote for the quarterback, she followed them into the office as they dejectedly had to explain why they had fought to the vice principal. Without wasting a second, and completely passing by the secretaries much to their objection, she burst into the door of the vice principal to the shock of all three parties.

"Hold it!" she said, pointing a finger into the air.

"Miss Dash, may I ask why you barged in here without permission?" the VP asked as he fixed his tie.

"I can answer your question if you answer mine; are these two boys in trouble?" Rainbow Dash asked without hesitation.

"Potentially, yes."

That answer caused the duo to shift nervously in their seats, exchanging glances as the VP calmly sighed.

"Now I've got an idea," Rainbow declared, shutting the door in the face of the secretary that had attempted to scold her.

"Oh boy, here we go," the VP said with a heavy sigh, resting his elbow on the table and his head on his palm.

"Instead of punish them for roughhousing, why not give them an outlet to roughhouse as well as potentially set them up for post-secondary means; they have the potential to be athletes." Rainbow set the clipboard down as well as her palms on the table as she got closer to the VP. "Let them join the football team."

"Rainbow Dash, honestly, I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd care about what these two boys did or what happened, let alone think of something like that," the VP said, genuinely surprised.

Rainbow stood up straight, frowning for a second before shrugging.

"That was a lie. To be honest, I really don't care what happens. We just need an extra member or two to be qualifiable for the tournament. Apple Bloom scared them off," Rainbow said, losing her rather excited tone she forced.

"And there it is," the VP said, rolling his eyes. Snips and Snails had been idly watching and listening, worried for a moment about the prospect of the football team. "Nonetheless, they're friends so it's not like they legitimately wanted to hurt each other. Just an argument with some horseplay in phys. ed."

"Oh, and they were also using gym equipment after school hours," Rainbow said, holding up her phone with the photo displayed.

The two boys gulped as they awkwardly chuckled.

"Uh, y-yeah, we were supposed to put it away but then we made a bet about who could shoot from the farthest. Nothing too bad, eh? Right?" Snails asked nervously.

The Vice Principal sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He glanced over at the two boys as they gulped, staring at the VP. "Snips, Snails," he said in a stern voice.

"Y-yes, sir?" the two asked in unison.

"You are to report to football practise every day and listen to Rainbow Dash; using school equipment after school hours is strictly forbidden. You are to do this until the end of the tournament or until you get disqualified," he said, turning to a computer to enter a punishment report.

The duo groaned before reluctantly agreeing as Rainbow Dash grinned smugly. The VP wasn't finished, though.

"Rainbow Dash, report to the detention hall today at lunch," he said, writing up a detention slip after printing out Snips and Snails' punishment form.

"What!? Why?" Rainbow asked, wondering why she was on the receiving end.

"This was a private meeting and you just burst in here. That's disrespectful," the vice principal told her calmly.

Scoffing with a coarse sigh, Rainbow snatched the sheet before the VP could fully extend his arm to hand it to her and she waltzed out of the office, forgetting her clipboard. The pickup lines and team member sheet was returned, but not without the lines erased. Rainbow whined about lost brilliance afterwards.

Now, Rainbow Dash had never been on amiable terms with the Dumbbells trio, but part of growing up was putting small differences aside for the greater good. She could only hope they were loyal enough to hang around, and that they didn't hold any grudges. They were Applejack's line of defense against the enemy, and they had better hold up their duty, or they would have to answer to the team captain herself. Not that that ever really worked before.

"Dash, quit daydreamin' an' put on yer helmet!" Apple Bloom shouted at the older girl, who scowled and stared blankly at her.

Though Applejack managed to talk her out of being a lineman, Apple Bloom managed to make a decent case about holding a position as fullback, which her older sister could not refute. With the not-so-intimidating Rainbow Dash as half back, she needed someone behind the line who could handle blocking well enough to keep the both of them safe, and Apple Bloom was perfect for it. She was not much for speed of course, so any rushing plays would likely go solely to Rainbow Dash.

"I can't help it if your sister's sweet, sweet body is too hot to get out of my head," Rainbow Dash told her with a smirk, noticing how the comment made the younger girl a little confused or repulsed.

Rainbow Dash fell forward a bit as she felt a hard _thwap_ on the back of her skull, with enough force to knock her for a loop. She glanced back irritably at the slightly taller blonde and rubbed the sore spot.

"That wouldn't'a hurt if y'had your helmet on," Applejack reminded her pleasantly before patting her back twice and taking the helmet from her hands, plopping it onto her bright noggin. "Al'right, captain, our first game's tomorrow, we gonna run some plays today t'prepare?"

"Wait, it's tomorrow?!" Rainbow Dash's jaw hit the field, and Applejack's eyes narrowed at her.

"Y'forgot?!" The farmer roughly poked her team captain in the gut, aiming for the bruise that still remained on her soft skin.

"Ouch! I'm still tender, AJ," Rainbow whined and rubbed the spot, glaring at her friend, "How would you like it if I started poking at _your_ tenderest spot? Actually, you might."

"This is serious, Rainbow," Applejack reminded her with a stern expression, "you're tellin' me that you ain't got nothin' planned that'll help us win tomorrow's game?"

"I don't remember saying that," the captain grumbled as she traced the fading bruise with gentle fingers. "Look, I'm captain for a reason. I got plays coming out my ass, and with your little sister here picking up the slack, we could train an hour before the game and pull it off."

"Is she f'real?" Apple Bloom questioned skeptically, not really sure how to take anything that came out of the rainbow-haired girl's mouth.

"You better not be screwin' with me," the farmer grumbled as she crossed her arms.

"Not 'til tonight, babe," Rainbow Dash winked rosiness into Applejack's cheeks, which she tried to play off as anger. "You trust me, don't you?"

"Ah," Applejack looked into Rainbow's bright pink eyes, finding some solace in their familiar beauty, "yea', Ah reckon Ah do."

"Then give me a quick kiss and let's do it," Rainbow Dash knocked her helmet back and puckered her lips, leaning towards Applejack expectantly.

"Not happenin'," Applejack grabbed the visor of the captain's helmet and dropped it down past her eyes, leaving it covering most of her goofy face.

Rainbow Dash laughed loudly as she adjusted it right, noticing the amused smile on Applejack's lips as she got her sight back. Applejack grabbed her jersey and yanked her over to the middle of the field, her younger sister following. As the team relaxed after another tough go around of tackle training and several yard sprints, Applejack nudged Rainbow to get their attention.

"All right, you shitstains!" Rainbow Dash shouted, and both of the Apple siblings slapped their palms to their faces in embarrassment. "Gather the fuck around!"

"Ah can't believe she's th'captain," Apple Bloom murmured to her older sister.

"She sure is one of a kind," Applejack replied with a genuine smile.

"Mutiny," Rainbow Dash glared back at them, though Applejack spread her hands and shook her head incredulously, since she had been the one defending her. "The reason I scheduled the practice for today, is because we have our first game tomorrow," Rainbow Dash began to explain as the team fell in around her.

"Is that so?" The farmer chuckled to hear her lie.

"Mutiny!" Rainbow repeated as she pointed a finger back at Applejack, who went still under the attention. "Anyway, today we're going to go over a few plays, you know, the boring stuff, and if we're lucky we'll get to play a down or two for real. I don't want to hear any complaining, do I made myself clear?"

"Yeah," came a few grumbles here and there.

"I said, do I make myself clear?!" Rainbow Dash shouted louder.

"Yes ma'am!" the team agreed hurriedly.

"Bunch of fucking pussies, I swear," the captain groaned as she turned around and shook her head, only to snatch the clipboard that Applejack held and read it over.

Peeking up to look for a pen, she spotted it tugged into Applejack's shirt, hanging between her breasts as her jersey had no pockets. Rainbow Dash reached out and plucked it without remorse from the private spot, earning some protests from her teammate. Without response, Rainbow Dash tore the papers from the iron grip of the clipboard and turned them around, only to begin scribbling on the blank backs and between the eraser marks from her old pickup lines. Applejack leaned curiously over her shoulder, only to be pulled in closer not by any wandering hand of Rainbow Dash, but by the intriguing plays that seemed to spout from nowhere.

"Shoot, that ain't half bad," Applejack praised as she put her hand on her captain's shoulder and leaned ever nearer.

"You know better than anyone how awesome I am," Rainbow Dash grinned and raised her eyebrow suggestively, though it did not brush Applejack off like it usually might have.

"You've really outdone yourself," Applejack nodded as she watched Rainbow's agile fingers prance over the paper.

"Come on, I could make much more magic between fabric sheets than over paper ones," the captain continued easily as she flipped to another blank page, starting a new play.

"Prove it." Applejack prompted her captain, who slammed the pen down onto the clipboard and whirled around to face her, eyes wide and almost unrestrained. Applejack blinked at the sudden reaction, and hurriedly tried to set it straight, "A-Ah mean t'say that your plays are good, RD, that's all. Ah was just goofin' around."

"So you say," Rainbow Dash murmured disappointedly as she turned back to her sketches, continuing right along.

Before long, Rainbow Dash had drawn out a full set of plays that suited her team to their few strengths and were easy enough to get by with little coaching. She plucked the papers out of the clip and held them out in front of her team, which looked over at her with some fraction of reverence; about as much as they could legitimately give their perverted, crazy-haired captain.

"All right, ladies, gentlemen, and Spike," Rainbow Dash addressed them, and Spike growled irritably at the implication, "You get these plays down, and we're going to trash them tomorrow!"

"I don't remember a single play!" Scootaloo squealed as she looked out to the field, the darkening sky reminding her how little time they had left before the game, all of about five minutes.

"Are y'serious?!" Apple Bloom gasped to hear such a thing, though she herself hardly had much of an idea of them herself.

"Honestly, I m'self am a tad lost," Pipsqueak chimed in while rubbing the back of his head, his helmet bent up under his massive arm.

"Hey, kiddos!" Rainbow Dash's voice boomed from down the hall towards the change rooms, and the three younger players flinched to hear it echo, "Get into your gear, I'm not waiting around for some fucking fashion show!"

"Don't tell Dash, she'll kill ya," Apple Bloom warned her childhood friend, who nodded surely, "But I ain't too happy with y'neither!"

"Fuck, I really need a smoke," Scootaloo murmured grouchily as she made a frustrated face.

"A what?!" Apple Bloom wasn't certain if she heard her right, but didn't get much of a chance to get into it.

"I meant now!" Rainbow Dash's voice shook them once more, and the three hurried over to the source of the bellowing.

The rest of the team gathered in the common mezzanine room, considering the boys and girls weren't allowed to share a change room. The three younger players were the last to arrive, and they still buttoned up their uniforms here and there until they reached the meeting spot. Rarity had done a fine job of stitching up the uniforms in time for the game, so everyone was still settling in to the fit.

The team captain did not hesitate to stand up in front of the whole crowd, clearing her voice to gather the attention. The latest arrivals hurried to get seats in front of her as she readied to speak.

"So here we are, the first major milestone of our season," she started simply, looking out into the faces of the less than capable players, some more seasoned than others. "And yeah, we're a bunch of fucknuggets and screw-offs, but we look damn good anyway, don't you think? Or at least, I do." She posed, tugging at the fresh fabric over her fit body.

"Rainbow." Applejack directed her back on topic, and the captain snickered a bit.

"Now, when we go out there, we're going to go as a team, okay? The way Applejack had us marching on the way to the rec centre," Rainbow Dash explained certainly as she placed her leg up onto a bench.

"Why?" One of the Dumbbells whined dully, and the captain shot him a glare.

"Because we're up against the Canterlot Wondercolts tonight, one of the most formidable teams in the league, we can't afford to look weak," the football captain picked up her own helmet and strapped it onto her head, holding the attention. "But just because they've got some good reputation doesn't mean they're better than us, got it? Personally, I kinda prefer to be the underdog, don't you?"

Spike perked up from his position at the far corner of a bench to notice Rainbow Dash's challenging gaze was on him. He shifted uncomfortably under the attention, until the captain got back to business.

"I want you all stretched and warmed up by the time we get out there, Applejack and I already did all that before coming down here, so we're good." Rainbow grinned as she tightened her strap, and the quarterback shuffled in her stance beside her.

"We did?" she asked curiously, only to catch the suggestive gaze from her friend, and nod to find it was another sexual joke. "Oh."

"Now, I'm not really good with speeches and shit, and I don't want you dickheads getting all teary-eyed about it," she continued cheekily, and Applejack rolled her eyes at the odd way she went about motivating the group. "So just fucking win. Sound good?"

"Yes ma'am!" Most voices agreed loudly, and Rainbow Dash smirked on one side as she stood back up straight and broke up the meeting with a clap.

They faintly heard the call of the announcers over a booming intercom, and knew their time was up. Rainbow Dash led the group out of the mezzanine towards the field, Applejack at her side. From the entrance to the change rooms, where they awaited their introduction, the team could see the stands from behind the blinding field lights. It seemed that there were few spectators, most of which were Canterlot Wondercolt fans; which was not surprising considering it was the first game, but it did little to help the morale.

"**And now, playing for home in our very own stadium tonight**," The announcer's voice rang out over the field.

"Don't let those blue-balled Wondercolts get to you," Rainbow Dash snickered as she looked out into the stands, noticing the dominance of the Wondercolt blue over the Manticore red, "They probably just didn't have anything red to put on."

"**The Manehatten Manticores!**" boomed out, and like lighting their team broke out onto the field, Rainbow Dash leading them.

The turf beneath their feet submitted to their jogs, their pounding feet smacking the freshly trimmed grass with verve. Some lines painted near the end zones still hissed and hovered in the air with novelty, the grass wetted by pale tones. Waving to what few fans actually did come out, the team made it to their gathering point, by their benches. There was still another few moments before the game officially began, which included the secondary introduction, some statistical mumbo-jumbo and the coin toss.

"**And introducing our guests for this, the first game of the season. Last year's former champions, straight from Canterlot,**" the announcer continued as the team awaited their rivals, "**the Wondercolts!**"

The enemy team trudged out onto the field, their footing and timing impeccable with each trained trot. Each member seemed to know exactly their place, and it was no wonder they had been the champions of the last season, with those impressive uniforms, great support, and more than adequate preparation. As they grew nearer to the Manticores, it became clear that their opponents were actually quite small in stature, though padded up like menacing players. In fact, the nearer they marched, the easier it was to tell that...

"Hah! They're a bunch of _girls_!?" Dumbbell guffawed as Applejack and Rainbow Dash twitched to hear such talk, and the two of them glared back at the ignorant linemen.

"You jackasses! Did you forget who your team captain and quarterback are?!" Rainbow Dash snapped in a shout at her teammates, who still played coy and snickered dumbly at the opponents.

"Whatever dude, we're going to be matching up against a lot of squishy little chicks on the line," another one of the linemen noted, his laugh only increasing in volume as he came up with the next line. "Hey Rainbow Crash, you wanna switch me spots so you can grab a handful?"

"Don't make me puke," Rainbow Dash growled angrily, snatching Applejack's hand and yanking her closer, wrapping her arm around her waist as their hips met. "I've got everything I need right here!"

"Huh?" Applejack gawked at her friend's confident expression as it shifted into an amourous smirk. Their eyes met from the other side of their visors, but before Applejack could make an argument, Rainbow Dash directed the subject otherwise.

"Remember that, you stinkin' dimwit, everything we need to win is right here at our fingertips!" And with that, she reached into Applejack's arms and took the pigskin from her grip, holding it out to the linemen with a stern expression. "I wouldn't care if we faced a team of brazilian body-builders! The enemy should not be what you're focusing on."

_She really believes that?_ Spike thought uncertainly, looking out at the much more adept team of players as they took the field, suddenly feeling much more insecure than normal.

"This is sure gonna be rough on some o'the less athletic players," Apple Bloom said as she stood between Spike and Pipsqueak, stunted by their size.

"Why's that?" Spike asked as he looked down at the red headed girl. "Isn't that what all your training was for?"

"Yea', but we ain't had 'nough of it f'this," she told him skeptically, "remember, with s'little players on the team here, we gotta play offense and defense. Why d'you think Rainbow made us do s'many defensive plays? It's gonna be rough, we ain't hardly gonna get time t'rest 'til halftime."

"Oh, right," Spike realized as he looked at how small their team was, less than half the amount of players the Wondercolts had.

"Ah ain't worried 'bout you two, o'course," Apple Bloom flashed them a pleasant smile and patted them both on the backs simultaneously.

"'course," Spike repeated numbly as his head dropped a bit, looking down at the grass at his feet.

Applejack caught sight of Spike's uncertainty, and frowned from her position a few yards ahead with Rainbow Dash. She knew just as well as Apple Bloom did how straining this game would be for new players, and the way her linemen were underplaying the issue made it even worse. She leaned closer to Rainbow Dash, placing a hand on her lower back to get her attention.

"Y'got a good feelin' about this one, sugarcube?" Applejack asked curiously as her eyes trailed to the other players, who were also distracted.

"When you've got your hands on me, I always have a good feeling," Rainbow Dash smirked and peered over at her, her bright pink eyes shining through her visor. "Don't tell me you're nervous?"

"Maybe a mite," Applejack admitted slowly.

"Well, I can think of a way to help you relax," the captain murmured quietly under the faint chatter of the distant crowd.

"Uh," Applejack stammered as the back of Rainbow Dash's hand touched her stomach and trailed down, "Ah think we gotta start the game now."

"Sounds good to me," Rainbow's eyes narrowed further as her smirk spread across her face.

"The _football_ game," Applejack reminded her as she grabbed her hand and stopped it.

"Shit, right," Rainbow Dash got her attention back as the referee came across the field. "Gather the fuck up, you tools!" She snapped at Snips and Snails, who had been busy waving and making faces to the stands, drifting from the rest of the team.

"Come on y'all, let's get up there." Applejack gestured for the rest of the team to head on up to the middle of the field for the coin toss, where the other team had nearly assembled by now.

After a few tries to find an order in which to stand, the Manticores managed to spread out along their line parallel to their opponents. Applejack had handed the football over to a referee to put into play, and stood beside Rainbow Dash as she faced the other captain. The Wondercolts seemed to have chosen their quarterback as captain, a level-headed girl with darker skin and midnight hair. However, the air of superiority that surrounded her put Rainbow Dash on edge, though she would not show it.

"Manticore's team captain, Rainbow Dash," The referee spoke up, and Rainbow Dash nodded and took a small step forwards, "Wondercolt's captain, Octavia."

"Yo," Rainbow Dash extended a lazy handshake, and the other captain looked at it oddly.

"I didn't know Manehatten had a football team," Octavia looked around at the haphazard members who seemed less than attentive. "It seems they still don't."

Rainbow Dash shook her head and huffed a laugh at the trash talk, carelessly removing her handshake offer and scoffing with a wave instead. Applejack cautiously watched her captain, knowing how quick she could be to anger if something got to her. This it seemed, did not bother her one bit. The referee pulled out a simple coin and displayed both sides to either team before speaking directly to a player.

"Visiting team calls once the coin is in the air, Wondercolts?" The referee asked as he balanced it on his thumb, looking over at Octavia. With that, he flicked it.

"Tails," she called simply, without breaking the eye contact with her foe.

The coin flipped through the electric air and flipped about, catching the field lights from far above. It hit the grass almost silently, landing in front of Rainbow Dash's right foot. the referee leaned down to examine it, and spoke the side he saw.

"It's heads," the referee plucked the coin from between the short blades of grass once it was obvious the call was true, and he looked over at Rainbow Dash, "Manticores, what's your call?"

Rainbow Dash graciously mimed a courteous bow with her hand, opening her palm upwards as she gave the kickoff away. "Be my guest."

"It's a good thing you have luck on your side," Octavia mused simply, "because you don't have much else."

"Kickoff from the Wondercolts, right side," the referee announced, and the teams broke apart at last.

The stuck with the sides of the field they emerged from, though it would switch before the second quarter and back after the third. Rainbow Dash finally turned around and walked with her team to the starting line, though Applejack was right on her heels the whole time.

"Y'okay, Rainbow? Looked like she wanted t'pick a fight." Applejack wondered as she got up close to the captain, who simply smirked.

"I hope her digestive tract can handle a little hot air, because we're going to make her eat those words," Rainbow Dash revealed, and Applejack grinned in response, dropping her hand supportively onto Rainbow's shoulder.

It was only really clear to Applejack how far Rainbow Dash had come over the past few years. It went mostly unnoticed to others due to her playful and perverse nature, especially with regards to her best friend, but Applejack knew her better than that. There was a time that Rainbow Dash might have jumped Octavia, or keyed her luxury car for speaking to her like that. But now, there was restraint and maturity in Rainbow Dash that made Applejack proud.

The teams lined up across from each other, spreading out into formations planned beforehand. For several of the Manticore's players, this was their first football game, and that made them rather uneasy. Rainbow Dash already told Snails to sit out first, knowing her team would hardly recognize if they had too many players on the field at once. Patiently, the Manticores waited for the Wondercolts to administer the kickoff.

The starting whistle blew loudly, and with that Wondercolts took off towards their opponents, the kick flying out in a matter of seconds. The ball catapulted through the air, twisting and shaking as it made decent distance over the Manticore's line. Several players fell back to try and snatch it out of the air, while the defensive line hung up front to block the enemy's charge.

_If Rainbow Dash had chosen to start the game, I would be the one doing the kickoff right now_, Spike thought uncertainly as the ball cleared over his head, feeling nerves bundling up in his stomach. _I don't know if I could handle that._

The football came down quickly as it passed the peak of its trajectory, sailing almost perfectly into the arms of someone who was not really much for receiving. Snips looked down into his arms and saw the ball tucked right in close, but hardly moved at all.

"Hey, I caught it!" Snips called excitedly, and Rainbow Dash slapped her palm against her face with a groan.

"Run!" was called by nearly every other clear-headed player on their team, and after blinking in surprise once or twice, he took the advice.

Racing across the yard lines back towards the opposing side, he huffed erratic breaths and displayed some look of terror on his face. Applejack hurried to his defense and managed to keep two players from getting close enough to catch him, but once he crossed into their domain he was all but dead. Spike watched from afar, too far to make up the time or distance and give the poor boy a hand, as he made it a good few more yards. But before he could even gain an ounce of confidence for his charge, he was tackled by two more surprisingly forceful girls.

Snips' body impacted the field like an anvil dropping, and he could have sworn he saw his feet fly up over his head while in mid air. While managing to gain a good few yards, he nearly lost his lunch.

"Oo," Applejack cringed along with the rest of the group, besides Rainbow Dash who had jogged up to the quarterback by then. "Y'think he'll be al'right?"

"I don't care, that was freaking hilarious!" Rainbow Dash laughed loudly as the boy sat up groggily, his eyes spinning around in his head. As a couple of the Dumbbells went over and helped him up, Rainbow Dash tugged at Applejack's sleeve. "Come on babe, it's our down."

"Ah know," Applejack agreed as she followed her captain over to the scrimmage line, as marked by where Snips landed with the ball.

The rest of the Manticores fell into position in front of Applejack, and Rainbow Dash leisurely hung around just behind her, pleased about her view. That is, until Apple Bloom took her position between the two and gave her a funny look, noticing what she had been doing. The centre lineman crouched down in front of the spotted ball at last, though his expression was less than concerned about the line of women in front of him.

"Dude, this is gonna be a snap," he said with a snort and brief laugh, which was cut short as Applejack dashed his fun.

"Ah hope so, else Ah ain't got nothin' t'throw," Applejack chuckled slyly at the pun as the boy before her grunted irritably.

The ball was hiked back without incident, and Applejack's hands gripped it tight. Apple Bloom came around her and held the line with the others just long enough for Applejack to let off her throw, which was not particularly long due to Featherweight's position. Scootaloo had not been able to keep clear and open, so he was her only option for a catch.

Featherweight had a great jump, but he was not used to having to perform while under attack. The ball sailed straight towards him, but as he raised his hands to accept it, he found nothing but empty air. The enemy player in front of him leapt their highest, which still did not match his own height, but was enough to reach up and tip the ball out of his reach. The football hit the ground and bounced wildly as the pass remained incomplete, and the teams set up once more.

Spike realized then that he had not been much help in the scrimmage at all, that their players had anticipated a pass and sent their safeties back immediately. As tight end, he was able to pull of both a catch and a block, so perhaps he was more useful down the field to help Featherweight, who was much smaller than he was. As Applejack set up for another play, Spike looked out and tried to memorize the positions of his enemies, finding the fastest route through and noting any who seemed particularly set on rushing the line.

Once again, the ball was caught in Applejack's hands, but by then Spike had already taken off to defend the receivers. He was right to do so, considering he was able to both distract the cornerback and get a hold on the safety positioned closer to his side. However, as Spike made real progress for a successful passing play, the linemen did little to block the defender's charge. The opposite cornerback broke right around the line, which was locked in the scrimmage and otherwise useless.

Before either of her receivers had made it permissible for a safe pass, Applejack found herself right in the path of a sprinting foe. Apple Bloom was already holding off the outside linebacker by then, and couldn't risk giving in to go back in case she was overpowered and floored. With her arm back for the throw, Applejack could hardly change the play in the split second before the sack, and instead opted to protect the ball for the next down.

She grunted as she hit the less than soft grass with her back, feeling the enormous pressure of weight over her. Despite the tremendously surprising weight, the hit itself was cushioned and easy to take. Half of the pressure was removed almost instantly, that being the cornerback, but she groaned and opened her eyes to notice the other half, who was still laying right on top of her.

"Eh? Rainbow?!" Applejack gawked at the slightly smaller girl between her legs, who was holding her against the ground with her light weight and displaying a great big smile, "What'n the hay are y'doin' on top'a me?!"

"I couldn't stand the thought of anyone else being here," Rainbow leaned closer and embraced her, rubbing her head between Applejack's breasts much to her embarrassment. "You're _my_ quarterback."

"G-get off! That don't mean y'gotta tackle me, y'lunatic!" The quarterback struggled and shoved her attacker off of her chest, though she was still pinned under her slender body.

"You were already going to get sacked, I just wanted to make it all the more pleasurable for you." Rainbow Dash's promiscuous grin spread across her face as she pressed down.

Applejack's eyes widened as she felt Rainbow's leg rub up between hers, and her face went red as a seasoned apple. She could feel something inside her heat up, but doused it immediately with a yelp and hurriedly scampered out of the interchange in a frantic crawl. Rainbow Dash was not far behind as she clung to her quarterback, all the way up until they got up to their feet. Applejack gripped Rainbow's shoulder pads as she narrowed her frustrated expression on her.

"This is why no one takes us seriously!" Applejack told her, though she did not seem to care.

"Jeez, so much for a thank you. I was the one who took the brunt of that hit, you know," Rainbow Dash grumbled as she rubbed her back, which might match the colours on her stomach if she got hit like that again. "Felt to me like she was driving with her elbow and helmet on that one."

"Why would she d'that?" Applejack asked as the rest of the team returned to their positions.

"You sure weren't going anywhere, she was aiming to maim you," Rainbow Dash explained with an amused grin. "Looks like they might actually be afraid of us, to try something like that."

"Ah doubt that," Applejack denied with a light chuckle, wrapping her arm around Rainbow Dash and directing her back to her position gently.

"Just throw the ball next time," the team captain snorted as she let Applejack head up to the line for the next down.

"Just tackle an enemy next time," Applejack retorted teasingly as Rainbow Dash made a face.

Applejack leaned down behind the centre lineman, who was positioned in front of the ball again. As rubbish words came out of her mouth, she scanned the opposing team, looking for holes or weaknesses. Finally, she called for the snap and had it in her hands at once, barely hesitating before finding her target. Again the line seemed to falter, but by then the ball was already flying over their heads. It was Scootaloo's catch this time, but she would never receive it.

Just as she made to grab it and make a run for it, the ball was snatched out of the air in front of her. Besides that, she was held off from making chase as a second opponent came between her and who had finalized the catch. The blue-shirted player took off back towards the line, avoiding Featherweight's flimsy attempt to stop her. The receiver was like lightning, escaping the few players who made it in time to even close in on her. Before most of the Manticores could even get out of the scrimmage, the ball had been run all the way back to their side of the field.

Within seconds, the Manticores were left gaping as a touchdown was scored almost unopposed. Rainbow Dash fumed at their lack of pursuit, and looked up on the scoreboard to see that hardly a few minutes had passed since the game even begun. It was humiliating, and the once confident linemen gulped nervously.

"I take it back." Rainbow Dash turned to see Octavia strolling past her with a smug look on her face. "Maybe fortune isn't on your side."

She didn't dare to refute it, in fact she couldn't. The antagonistic enemy captain had been right.

"This is not looking good."

Spike grumbled as he glanced over to the stands, contemplating his classmates that had come only to watch them fail. His eyes locked on the familiar faces of his sister, parents, other friends and _her_. He never got to finish his thought as someone else roughly bumped into him.

"Woah there, I thought you were the Manticores, not Dragons," a shrill voice spoke, dripping with snark as she walked towards the opposing team quarterback.

Spike turned to see that she had whiter skin than he was used to seeing, pinkish eyes and blue hair. She was far shorter than he was but also well built for a girl her size. Spike grit his teeth as he let it sink in that they were being ousted by girls. As she turned around, Spike saw her name on the back of her shirt: Vinyl.

The team retook their places and Spike made it his personal mission to take down Vinyl, if not to assign himself an important role. The teams reformed on their respective sides as the Wondercolts prepared to take yet another kick. Spike wondered if it was going to be possible at all for him to show off his kicking power.

The whistle sounded and once more the teams charged each other, the ball being launched forward… yet it wasn't far. The kick was awful and it spiralled forward, hitting the ground in the centre field and bouncing forward erratically. Rainbow panicked and Spike found himself unable to think properly.

"Retrieve the ball, it's an onside kick!" Rainbow shouted as she grit her teeth. "Bitch is just playing with us now!"

Expectedly, two players on the Wondercolts darted forward, clearly their fastest runners. Rainbow and Scootaloo darted forward to meet the challenge. Even now, though, the opposing team knew that they weren't gonna get the ball. Even if the ball wasn't kicked that far, it was little secret to pretty much all other high school football teams that Rainbow Dash was almost unrivalled when it came to speed.

Rainbow scooped up the ball as it rolled to a halt and darted forward, expecting a pincer attack from the two running backs. Rather than suffer the attack, they separated giving Rainbow a clear path towards the other team. Her speed flattered for a half-second before Rainbow growled, realizing that they were just letting her get closer to the linemen. Unlike the chumps she managed to outmaneuver days ago, these linemen were seasoned and knew what to do. Her biggest threat was their centre… but yet again, the team separated giving Rainbow Dash a clear line to the endzone save for two.

Yet Octavia stepped aside leaving only one in front of Rainbow; Vinyl Scratch. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow clutched the football in her arms as she prepared to go around the girl. Instead, Vinyl lunged forward, surprising Rainbow as the distance was closed before Rainbow could attempt to swerve. Two hands roughly impacted Rainbow right in her abdomen. Her feet swung out from under her as she fell backwards, landing flat on the ground. Her back stung a bit from hitting the ground yet she never let go of the ball. The referee whistled and as she sat up, Rainbow realized she was not even five yards from the endzone.

"Tavi, I don't think this is fair," Vinyl said with a chuckle.

Rainbow laid on the ground for a moment before a hand grabbed onto her facemask and yanked her to her feet. She must have been laying down for a few more seconds than she thought because it was Applejack that did it. Rainbow tossed the ball over to Apple Bloom as her and Applejack exchanged glances. Applejack only saw a reddened face on a pissed off Rainbow Dash whom immediately averted her eyes, taking her place behind the area where Applejack would go.

Spike watched their downtrodden team sulk as they took their places, glancing to his left to spot Hoops scathingly glaring at a female lineman whom only smugly grinned in response. Turning his gaze forward, Spike met eyes with a girl that had minty green hair and an excited, grinning face that seemed wholly innocent. Raising an eyebrow, the girl closed her eyes as her smile grew even more.

"Hi, my name's Lyra!" she beamed, nodding her head.

"Spike," the boy muttered in response.

"No offense, but are you gonna do anything this play?" she asked, maintaining her grin.

Spike felt a weight atop his shoulders and averted his gaze, glancing down at the grass between them. As they were crouching forward, he could see his and Lyra's hands and watched the girl… _grope_ the Earth as if her fingers would fall off if they weren't moved enough. The words had sunk in so any chance of distracting him would fail.

Applejack was calling out random numbers, Spike couldn't remember why but as those three letters were shouted out, Spike made sure to let himself cut loose for a second.

"HUT!"

Spike pushed off the ground and swung his hands up from below, latching his fingers onto Lyra's shoulders. She let out a yelp as Spike used his superior strength against her. Spike lifted her off the ground, pushing off as Lyra tumbled backwards. Stumbling briefly, Spike darted in an curving motion towards Vinyl scratch as she glanced around for one of the receivers. In the corner of his eye, Spike could see the rage being used against the female team as the linemen save for Apple Bloom used their male aggression. Pipsqueak was especially obvious in his outlet choice as he wrapped his arms around one linemen and the Wondercolts' centre, and, with a rough grunt, he tackled the two to the ground. The other three Dumbbells merely fell to the skill of the other three linemen while still managing to slow them down.

Spike stepped forward, Vinyl seemingly oblivious to his presence as she stepped back. He found himself surprised when two objects roughly slammed into him, taking him down… or maybe it was the other way around. Rolling briefly, Spike saw Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had collided with him as Featherweight and Snips failed to break through the defensive line of the Wondercolts. With that, Vinyl had an easy interception of the small throw. Applejack cussed as she realized Rainbow, Scootaloo and Spike had collided.

Before she could respond, Applejack spotted the other three linemen run forward towards her and Applejack could only brace herself. Several sets of arms wrapped around her arm, leg and torso. Gravity did it's thing and she felt herself go down roughly, clenching her eyes shut as she slammed into the turf. Opening her eyes, she saw Vinyl Scratch darting down the field with nobody pursuing her and her, along with the rest of the team, heard the whistle blow, the crowd cheer and the Wondercolts rejoicing as another touchdown was scored.

Spike felt himself yanked to his feet by the same girl whom mocked him before. Her face no longer had the grin from before, replaced with what seemed like admiration. His wonder was confirmed.

"Well, that was rather impressive. I wasn't trying to motivate you, but you tried," she said, grinning. Lyra slapped her hand atop Spike's shoulder as he adjusted his helmet. "You're alright with me." With that, Lyra followed her team as the practically skipped to their side in preparation for the kick.

Spike and the rest of his team dragged themselves to their endzone in preparation of the next play. And it went the same as the last two. And the one after that, and so on and so forth until it was brought down to only five minutes left in the game. The score was 0-43 in the Wondercolts' favour. None of the Manehatten Manticores were trying anymore and although Rainbow talked tough, she was visibly faltering and putting forth less effort than earlier.

Spike took his position and glanced back towards the stands where he saw a majority of the Manticores' supporters had vanished. He thought back to each time he was sacked by a woman. Each time he accidentally ruined a play. Each time he was chastised for it. Tears threatened to spill over his eyes as he let it sink in.

_It's not fair. It's not fucking fair. I wanted to be important and awesome. I've completely ruined my shot. I've disgraced this stupid uniform and now my team hates me. Every play I've fumbled, and—_ Spike's thoughts were interrupted by a soothing voice.

His ear twitched and he slowly turned, drowning out all other noise as he heard the one voice above all others. It was elegant, it was soothing, it was angelic to his ears. Turning his head, Spike's eyes locked onto a fashionista standing as close to the field as she could manage, just teetering on the edge of the white line.

"Spike, don't give up! Don't let your first game end in depression! Give them a reason to fear you in the finals!" Rarity's voice called out.

The angst and rage subsided in Spike and he simply found himself grinning, feeling a warmth in his chest replace the anger. He wiped his eyes before any of the moisture drizzled down his cheek and he shot her a toothy grin to the best of his ability due to the mouthguard. He gave Rarity a thumbs up and he calmly strode back to his position.

"Rainbow Dash!" Spike shouted out.

"What?" she responded dully, dragging the word out.

"We've lost, so let's just leave our mark, alright?"

That one sentence resonated with the rest of the team and the depressed atmosphere vanished, replaced with an urge to score at least one touchdown against the seemingly invincible Canterlot Wondercolts. None of the opposing members could hear them from that side of the field. The ball was set on the tee and the Wondercolts once more prepared to kick the ball.

Rainbow was once again thinking about what it could be but guessed that the Wondercolts weren't gonna bother with an onside kick given that they've won. Then again, now that it was so close to the end, surely the Wondercolts wanted to take up as much time as possible just screwing with them, as if they hadn't been doing that already. A smile spread across Rainbow's lips; she could always try to force a lousy kick.

As the kicker advanced towards the ball, Rainbow Dash took in a quick and powerful breath, waiting until but two steps from the kick to release it. And when she did, everyone heard it.

"**Penis**!" Was shouted at substantial volume, and the kicker, who was utterly dumbfounded by such an odd burst of energy from the seemingly defeatist team, stumbled in her kick and sent it right to them.

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" Octavia screamed as she watched the ball tumble through the air, straight towards the Manticores.

After a brief air of disbelief faded from both teams, the Manticores caught on to Rainbow Dash's rather less than professional plan, and made the most of it. Spike had his eye on the ball the whole time, even when he felt like covering his face in embarrassment for Rainbow's outburst. He saw Scootaloo take the lead to catch it, and hurriedly set to defending her, rushing between her and the enemy while anticipating which direction she would take based on the resistance.

He was right of course, as to which direction she chose. Spike sent the first potential tackle spinning to the side, leaving the player on the grass and forcing himself into a run again. As Scootaloo closed the distance between herself and the entire enemy team, she expected nothing less than a brutal tackle. Which eventually she got, but not until after she had made up another five or ten yards back towards the enemy's endzone.

Scootaloo got to her hands and feet and shook her head, feeling her ears ringing. She had hardly even noticed that they tackled her so far she had made it out of bounds, though the ball was still tucked under her arm. As the referee took the ball from her shaking hands, Spike made it to her side and sighed in relief to find that she was all right.

"That was a nice catch, back there," Spike said between huffs, leaning over a bit.

"Thanks." She blushed a bit in embarrassment as she pulled some blades of grass out of the bars on her helmet. "Your blocking wasn't too bad either."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Spike and Scootaloo almost fell forward and collided helmets as Rainbow Dash threw her arms around them with a great big grin. "You kids aren't half bad."

Before Scootaloo or Spike had any chance to respond, Rainbow Dash was yanked off of them by the back of her jersey. After stumbling backwards a few quick steps, she was turned around to face Applejack, whose blank expression held her still.

"Ah ain't even gonna say anything." Applejack just shook her head a bit, but an amused smile eventually cracked out of her expression.

"Oh don't be sore, you know that dicks do nothing for me; they don't have anything on you, baby," Rainbow Dash broke into laughs as Applejack's expression turned to confusion, wondering why that was what Rainbow chose to focus on.

The group got back to the rest of their team at last as the referee set them up with the ball on the line. Applejack brought them into a huddle a few yards back and glanced back at the clock, knowing they had maybe enough time for two or three plays. The two minute warning had been given, and they were cutting it rather close. Feeling Rainbow Dash's hand grip her back, she turned back into the huddle and put her attention where it needed to be.

"Y'all heard what Spike said earlier, there ain't no way we're gonna win. So how's this," Applejack smirked a bit as she got the idea. "We give'em one last run f'their money, an', uh, as Rainbow might say," their eyes met though parted by visors, "we shove that football past their endzone an' right up their asses."

"Hell yeah!" Rainbow Dash shouted in agreement, and everyone else voiced their cheers and hollers.

"Spike," Applejack called his name, and he immediately listened closely, "you've only showed 'em y'blockin' so far, how's about y'give 'em a catch t'watch?"

"Right," Spike agreed with a firm nod, though he was still uncertain about his ball handling abilities.

_She thinks I can do it_, Spike thought as he saw the trusting smile on Applejack's face, _I can't let her down._

"Jus' get us a little closer t'the endzone, that's all Ah ask," the quarterback took some weight off his shoulders. "Y'all think y'can hold 'em back long enough for me to throw?"

"Yeah!" the linemen barked, more than ready to show the girls on the other team how tough they were.

"On, uh," Applejack smirked as she took a page from Rainbow Dash's book, "On sixty-nine! Break!"

They all clapped as they broke apart, snickering at the easy number to remember. Rainbow Dash punched Applejack's shoulder lightly, loving this side to her. Knowing exactly where to go by now, the team set up along the line and narrowed their eyes at the foes who stood before them. Applejack knelt down behind the line and recited anything that came to mind, words, numbers, anything. She noticed the way the group shuffled to her left, trying to get past Spike's formidable blocking. Perfect.

"Sixty-nine—HUT!" The ball sailed into Applejack's hands almost before she even said hut, and her team had nearly jumped their foes with the precision of their timing.

Applejack hurriedly stepped backwards to get a good distance and grip, and could see Spike heading out by the safeties. They caught sight of him only as he passed them, and gained a few good feet on them. With her left side falling in due to the increased push, Applejack launched the ball and took the hit, watching it sail from her hands. Spike was right in its line the whole while, and while the safeties were too concerned with making up the distance to catch him, he had almost a free catch.

He took the fall another yard or two down by the time they caught him, but he grinned up from the ground to see the end zone in sight a mere twenty or thirty yards away. As the rest of the team caught up, they fell into a close group to hear the next call from Applejack. Once she was certain none of the enemy team could hear, she told them.

"No snap count," she warned them, and they weren't sure how they felt about that. "Soon as all o'our hands touch turf, I'm callin' it. Tell Spike t'hold back with th'line on this one."

"You got a plan?" Rainbow Dash whispered as she got closer to her friend, picking up her pace.

"Yea', you." Applejack smiled to her captain, who nodded in understanding.

The team hurried to the line, and the first to reach Spike, Scootaloo, told him the news. The enemy team hardly managed to get into position and catch a breath before the Manticores had set up, and just as she had warned, Applejack called it.

"Hut!" The defensive line was caught almost entirely off guard.

Taking the speed of the snap into her arms and directing it around, Applejack pressed the handoff into Rainbow's waiting arms. Never leaving a step to waste, the pair took off to the right side behind Spike. He did as he was told and held off Lyra, using his size to block any view of the play from her and some of the other linemen. Applejack placed herself between Rainbow Dash and the other team, tucking her outside arm in close to make it appear that either of the two could be holding the ball.

While Pipsqueak held off most of the line almost single-handedly, even letting his own men lean on him for support, Scootaloo took off on the other side of the field, pulling some attention her way as if she was actually going to receive. Spike tossed Lyra to the side and moved up, noticing one of the players from the other side of the line sneaking up to go after the ball. He raced forwards and, with little regard for his own safety, jumped her clean out of her sprint and took her to the ground. Losing Rainbow Dash and Applejack to distance, Spike could only watch anxiously as several more blue-jerseyed players took off after them.

As they grew nearer to the end zone, the quarterback and the captain realized that neither Octavia nor Vinyl had been stalled for long by the desperate play, and were closing in on them. Rainbow Dash glanced over at them, her face growing red again as she remembered the way Vinyl had knocked her the first time she had run the ball up. The only thing she wanted to do right then was take that smug bitch out, and Applejack noticed that malice. Reaching over with a balled up first and knocking the bottom of it against her shoulder, Applejack smirked confidently.

"Ah got this, Rainbow," Applejack told her captain surely, relishing in the opportunity to take revenge for all the rudeness displayed earlier.

Rainbow Dash glanced at her guard, trusting her well enough to know she meant what she said. Nodding agreeably, Rainbow Dash kicked up her pace and hurried towards her goal. Applejack, however, turned her attention to the obstacles around her. Vinyl was nearer to her, but Octavia was not far behind, and the two had admirable speed nonetheless. But that would be exactly what Applejack used against them.

Like a bulldozer, Applejack rammed the oncoming Vinyl and shook her to the core, sending her flying back in a tumble. In fact, she had aimed her tackle so well that the falling body of Vinyl actually slammed right into Octavia as she too approached, taking her out by the legs and dropping them both to the turf. Applejack looked back towards the end zone in time to see Rainbow Dash leave any other pursuers entirely in the dust, easily stepping over the line and scoring a touchdown.

The small victory had the rest of the team in jubilant cheers, throwing their arms up and pumping fists. Rainbow Dash, however, merely looked over to the scoreboard and watched it turn from a zero to a six. She huffed a bit of a laugh, but though she would have usually strummed up some victory dance, she didn't have the energy or nerve to conjure one after a game like that. She glanced at her best friend to see her standing over the downed Octavia, reaching down and grabbing her by the arm as sportsmanly as always. With an admiring smile, Rainbow Dash set to chuck the ball back her way.

"Up y'go," Applejack groaned as she pulled the enemy team captain to her feet, reaching out to brush the dirt and grass from her elbow.

"You know one touchdown is not going to count for anything." Octavia yanked herself away from the quarterback, glaring at her all the while.

"Oh Ah know, but like y'said, our team ain't got much else, right?" Applejack smiled as Rainbow Dash's lobbed ball rocketed towards them, and she hardly had to glance at it to catch it, stopping it by the nose. Spinning it in her hand until her fingers stopped on the seams, Applejack placed the football right into Octavia's less than expectant hands. "Ah s'pose y'earned this."

Applejack smiled again and bowed her head just a little bit, turning around with a wave over her shoulder as she walked towards the enemy's endzone. By then, Rainbow Dash was well on her way back, and moved her already exhausted step that much faster once she noticed Applejack coming to meet her. Meanwhile, Vinyl Scratch pulled herself up off the ground with a hiss, looking over at Octavia and wondering what had just gone on between her and Applejack that had her standing still and watching the farmer walk away.

"What just happened?" Vinyl asked simply as she looked out to where Octavia was staring.

"That quarterback just flattened us," Octavia responded monotonously, like she was trying to figure it out herself, "and then handed me the ball, just like that."

Vinyl nodded slowly as a smile crossed her face, watching Rainbow Dash meet her quarterback most of the way down the field and greet her with a jumping hug. Not surprised by Rainbow's physical attack, Applejack easily halted her momentum and returned the hug, releasing her at once. Rainbow Dash started talking excitedly with her hands, which onlookers might have construed as her acting like some sneaky secret agent passing by the enemy team. Applejack just laughed and shook her head.

"They're a pretty funny team. But I kind of like goofy, you know?" Vinyl found herself telling her captain, who didn't look away from down the field. "I bet if we hadn't been such bitches, this could have been a pretty interesting game."

Even from so many yards away, the Wondercolts could see the ridiculous antics play out between them and their end zone. Rainbow Dash spun around behind Applejack, making fighting poses and putting their backs together like she was miming it was them against the world, though Applejack protested and tried to break from the weird interaction. The Manticore's quarterback, who had just taken out two of Canterlot's best players, nearly fell over as her captain jumped onto her back, forcing her to give her a piggyback ride.

"You totally had my back, AJ, now I've got yours!" could be heard shouted across the field, and Octavia merely scoffed to hear such babble.

"We won, didn't we?" Octavia said simply to her teammate, tossing the ball to the referee for the Manticores' kick.

"If that's enough for you." Vinyl shrugged as she turned back around to return to the rest of the team.

The teams reunited around the line where the ball was placed for the kick. There were only a few more seconds on the clock, but as it stopped at the touchdown, that was plenty of time for the kick. Rainbow Dash and Applejack made it to the line last of course, still bickering most of the way. That is, until they came up next to Spike.

"Sweet moves out there, buddy, you were a fucking force," Rainbow Dash praised as she struck him on the chest, and he grunted at the roughness of it.

"Last play's yours," Applejack reminded him as they watched the ball get teed up. "Ah know it don't matter much, but it's a good time t'show off, y'know, t'someone in the stands?"

Spike blushed as Applejack's hand landed on his shoulder, and he pretended not to know what she was talking about. He could see her out there though, and she was smiling. Even better, she was smiling at him. He couldn't keep the grin off his own face when he noticed her, and he felt his own energy returning.

"I'll do my best," Spike replied vaguely as Rainbow Dash went off to brag to the team, leaving Applejack there beside him alone.

"Nah, we ain't seen your best yet. You've still got plenty'a surprises left, Ah can tell," she smiled warmly, patting him again before looking out to the enemy team. "But n'matter what the score up there says, y'played one heck of a game, we all did. Ah mean, look at us? Hardly enough players t'fill a field, and yet we kept on truckin' an' managed a solid score 'gainst last years champs. It ain't much, Ah know. But we got time t'get better."

Spike just nodded as he seemed to understand. To everyone else, it was kind of a horrible defeat, but at least they didn't fall apart. And hell, at the end there they actually started playing like a real team. Still, it did very little for morale or self esteem. Despite the humiliated weight in his stomach, he swallowed his pride and raced towards that ball at last. The time started once more as his foot made contact, and without a hitch, it soared through the air and well-past cleared the goal posts. Granted it was sloped a bit farther to the right than he intended, but the strength in the kick was enough.

The final whistle blew at long last, holding the score at 7-43 in the Wondercolts' favour.

Though the small sense of pride gained from their touchdown faded quickly, the Manticores lined up against the Wondercolts and walked opposite each other, shaking their hands. Rainbow Dash didn't dare look much into the eyes of her enemies, too ashamed of the loss. She was never very good with losing, and her temper was set to flare up if even another rude word was uttered against her. It helped, however, when Applejack looked back at her from the position before her and smiled admiringly, proud of her captain's growth.

The rest of the linemen shook their heads begrudgingly as they watched several of the Wondercolt's players handing slips of paper over to Pipsqueak, which likely had their numbers written on them. Spike was too ashamed of himself to hang around much after the game, and as he got changed, he texted his sister to get the car ready. He couldn't face Rarity after a performance like that, even if she had been the one to help him turn it around.

He was the first one into the change room, hurriedly pulling his uniform up over his head and not bothering to fold it up. But as he looked at the mound of wrinkled fabric, he felt too bad not to hang it up right. After all, _she_ had made it for him, even if he was not fit to wear it.

"Are you leaving already?" a voice called to him from the doorway to the changeroom, and he peered back to see a pale, lanky boy standing there nearly out of breath. "I was looking for you, I wanted to ask you something."

"Featherweight, right?" Spike asked as he finished pulling his regular shirt over his head, recognizing the boy from his team.

"Yeah, you got it," he nodded shyly as he approached Spike. "It's just that, I mean I'm an okay receiver, I guess, but I'm nothing like you. Maybe you could teach me a few things sometime, I don't know, about holding my ground or something. I'm not really all the menacing or anything, but we're almost the same height so, maybe we're similar..."

"Why me? I'm no good myself," Spike's head dropped a bit as he smiled sadly to remember his sorry performance.

"Out there, we all looked like chumps," Featherweight admitted, "but your catch, it was way better than mine, and that's supposed to be my position! Just, think about it, okay?"

"Yeah, maybe," Spike mumbled as he got his stuff together, checking his phone for Twilight's text message telling him when she was ready.

"Let me give you my number, just in case," Featherweight offered, and though Spike hesitated at first, he handed his phone over to the boy. "Call or text me anytime, I'll know it's you because I really don't have that many contacts in my phone."

"I can relate," Spike murmured with a forced laugh, taking his phone back.

"Hey, you're getting tips from the green-haired kid?" another voice called from the door, though it was lower and slower. "I wanted to do that!"

"Yeah, me too, me too!" a higher pitched tone chimed in as the two other boys rushed into the locker room, snatching Spike's phone from his hand and programming in their numbers.

Spike recognized them as the two most recent additions to the team, Snips and Snails, and was found to be right as those were the names they wrote into his phone. Spike stared down at the little piece of technology that had created a bridge between him and his new teammates and smiled faintly.

_One lost game, and three new numbers?_ Spike pondered as he slipped his phone into his jacket and waved them off, going to find his sister, _I guess it wasn't all so bad._


	6. Shining Armour and Big Mac's Number

Spike grunted as he felt his joints aching. The science teacher rambled on as she passed out an assignment meant to be done in pairs. He silently prayed that he wasn't partnered up with Felix due to the odd-numbered students. Sighing with relief as he noticed Felix get partnered up with someone else, Spike found himself working alone, having denied the teacher's proposition to work with him. He glanced his assignment over briefly before feeling a vibration in his pocket. Pulling out the mobile and hiding it from the teacher's view, since she has a "if I can't see it, it's fine" rule.

He saw what was presumably an eighty-thousand word novel of a text from Twilight and he briefly skimmed it before sighing, muttering a cuss as he punched in his response.

"_tl;dr, shorten it, Twilight,_" was his response.

Hitting send, he managed to read through the assignment rubric before another response came in. He briefly glanced around to see the teacher busy marking something and the rest of the class chatting quietly to their partners. Sighing, Spike checked his messages again.

"_Spike, I was thinking after the somewhat-disaster that was yesterday's game, would you like me to talk to Shining Armour for you? Maybe bug Applejack to get Big McIntosh in? They're college Football players, or Big Mac is since Shining Armour graduated last year. They can help out a bit, if you like,_" was the response.

Spike felt a stint of anger and embarrassment after she brought up their first, awful game, but she had a point. Apple Bloom was good for strength training. Applejack and Rainbow were good for running plays and getting things down, but they needed a lot more than that. They needed a coach, and if anybody was viable, it'd be Shining Armour. Big Mac, still being in college for another year, would have to be on a schedule; Shining could drop by any moment.

Spike found himself smiling as he realized that Twilight was just looking out for him and he rolled his eyes, punching in a response.

"_Okay, thanks. You do that,_" he said.

Putting the phone back in his pocket, he almost flipped the desk when he felt another vibration so soon… but realized that it was far too fast for Twilight to respond. Curiously, he pulled out his phone and saw one of the first texts that he had gotten from someone that wasn't Twilight. Sure, he'd gotten one or two from Fluttershy, a metric shitton from Rainbow Dash regarding practise (which often ended with the words "fuckin' pipsqueak"), and a few from Applejack, but nobody else.

**SCOOTALOO**

Curiously, he opened it up to see what she said.

"_hey spike. how r u?_"

Spike wasn't sure how to respond given that socializing wasn't really his thing, but he did his best.

"_Pretty good. Really sore given the game and all,_" he typed in a reply.

Spike hit the send button and this time found himself waiting a little while longer for a response. He managed to write a paragraph down on preliminary questions before he had gotten a response from the small athlete.

"_ya that sux...im so sore from the game. rainbow dash sed aj was givin her massags_"

Spike shrugged, wondering how much a massage would truly do while wondering if he should point out Scootaloo texted like an 11-year-old girl. Resisting the urge, he scribbled down several more answers before sending a response. The prospect of a massage did seem soothing to him.

"_Maybe I'll ask Twilight to give me one. Lord knows she's probably read about all the master tricks from her books. Like, I really took an impact from you and Rainbow Dash. Left a nice bruise just under my armpit,_" he responded, taking note of the time.

Glancing to his left, he spotted Felix also looking at him as he talked with three others rather than his partner as one of them pointed at Spike. If he focused, Spike could hear Felix describing how Spike was "beaten by little girls" last night and lost. Sighing, Spike knew that he was most likely going to hear from Felix within the next few days. Taking his mind off it, he began scribbling down several more answers, his mind wandering to the previous night.

Every time he glanced over, he saw _her_ cheering wildly and loudly. Prim and proper yet there was something else… it was him. She wasn't cheering on the whole team. She wasn't motivating the defense.

"_You can do it, Spike!"_

"_Give them a reason to remember your name!"_

"_Don't give up, Spike!"_

"_Spike, show them why you're tight end!"_

They were all directed at him. She was singling him out. _Her_… Rarity was cheering for _him_, not the Manehatten Manticores. Feeling his face flush and grow red, he found himself dumbly grinning as he stared up at the ceiling with glee.

_Today's going to be a good da—_

His thought was interrupted by a pencil hitting him in the side of the head. His happy thought derailed, he turned to face his aggressor. Felix was chuckling, eyes glancing to his buddies. Spike felt a rage swelling up but he let it out with a sharp hiss of air between his teeth, glancing back to his page. He'd really love a stress-reliever at the moment. His phone chose to vibrate at that moment. Mentally thanking nobody, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the text.

"_yea wel massags r 2 girly. if u want we can fuck 2 relax or somethin_"

_I'm sorry, what?_ Spike found himself completely blindsided by the text. He reread it several times to make sure that, yes, Scootaloo had sent that message. The air seemed to grow heavy and he felt his heartbeat increasing and his face flush red with embarrassment this time. He felt a bit shaky as briefly, images of him and Scootaloo, naked bodies pressed against each other, flashed in his mind. He shook his head to blank out the thoughts and started to think about someone else, or _something_ else.

In what must be the mobile form of stuttering, he found his response having to be retyped several times before it was proper.

"_Sorry, I think I'm gonna pass. I mean, I really don't know you that well so it'd be weird, right?_" Spike was hoping that his words would be far lighter than outright rejecting her on account. Almost immediately, he realized that he doomed himself.

"_well i gess well hav 2 jus get 2 no each othr kk…? lol ;)_"

The response was all but what Spike feared but he didn't think it was _too_ bad; after all, he was actually hanging out with someone in that case. He still sat alone at lunches, having been to his group's lunch table maybe twice in the three weeks of school. Sighing, Spike let his embarrassment subside for a moment as he punched in his response.

"_Sure. Where and when?_"

And that's how Spike found himself struggling to maintain his basic male instincts. Numerous times at lunch, Spike found himself glancing towards Scootaloo only for the girl to be bending forward to fix her shoe, stretching her arms or even just eating… just to notice that she _wasn't wearing a bra_. He saw her in all her glory and grit his teeth, reminding him of what his prize was supposed to be… and the worst part?

"Hey, Spike, What're you staring at?" Scootaloo said with an edge to her voice.

_She knew _that he saw. Scootaloo winked at him and made zero effort to hide her less-than-modest chest. Thing is, though, Spike didn't wanna leave. Scootaloo, when not flirting or flashing Spike, was actually saying things Spike could agree with.

"I'm a bit surprised, honestly. I didn't think you'd know so much about… or just be so insightful on things like _psychology_, or anything," Spike said, leaning against an old tree in a field next to the school. "I mean, things we do for love is a little bit of a mature concept. Sure, you can find yourself prompted to shoot someone in a desperate situation if it means pleasing someone, but… finding a mutual attraction _because_ both initially liked the thrill? I've heard of stockholm syndrome, but falling in love with a murderer, completely opposed to that kind of thing simply because he doesn't treat you like shit?"

Scootaloo snorted in response, downing the rest of her cola before chucking the can across the field.

"It's happened; that was the case with Patrick Bateman and his secretary. It's farfetched but chances are if you thought of it, it _has_ happened. A lot of people will do things like that if prompted. People will act according to how much they think they deserve love, even if the one providing it is an absolute cunt. Bitches are the complete opposite. They fuck 'n smoke 'n shit just because they can. It's substance abuse versus substance dependence."

Scootaloo chose this particular moment to pull out a cigarette, offering one to Spike. Spike, frowning, contemplated it for a moment. Of all the things that could be done, this was one of the "no's" for many people. Gritting his teeth, he sighed as he took the cigarette, shakily holding it. Scootaloo had a small smile adorn her face as she pulled out a lighter.

"I've never smoked before," Spike muttered.

"I'll help you if you need training wheels," Scootaloo said with a grin.

Spike nervously glanced around, having never done something like this before… more specifically, in a place where he shouldn't. But everything that has occurred within the last few weeks had started to weigh down… and here was someone openly conversing with him and trying to introduce him to something.

Scootaloo took Spike's cigarette, placing it in her mouth as she brought the lighter up, flame bursting to life with a single flick. She inhaled several light puffs as the end glowed orange; afterwards, Scootaloo knocked the ash off the tip into the dirt between her legs. She took another, longer draw as Spike wondered if he was getting out of smoking. Scootaloo put the lighter in her pocket as she gave a tiny glance over to Spike, forcing the boy to gulp as she bore a sultry expression.

Before Spike could process it, a tiny, warm hand gently wrapped around his head, pulling him closer. Scootaloo removed the cigarette from her mouth, pressing her lips against Spike's own. Spike's mind was flashing all sorts of sirens; telling him to stop because it wasn't right… because they barely knew each other, and there was someone else on his mind. Yet he found himself drawn to this influential motion, this girl that was openly willing to kiss or have sex or let into her life… even if it seemed to be more than what he thought. She knew and had commented on something Spike has been confused about most of his life.

Their lips opened up and Spike could feel the puff of smoke entering his mouth and immediately, he retched back from the taste and from the toxic air entering his lungs. He started coughing hard and pressed himself against the tree, clutching his chest as he violently spat out the air. Scootaloo was laughing hard, doing her best not to tip over as she did. Spike leaned forward, feeling his coughing coming down from the initial intrusion of toxins as Scootaloo began to slap his back to assist. After he stopped, he leaned back against the tree with watery eyes and lazily glanced over at Scootaloo as she had a devilish little smirk that was also a toothy grin from the way her lips parted on the side of her mouth where the cigarette was held. She raised her eyebrows causing Spike to chuckle a bit at the situation, blushing as he realized what had happened.

"Man, I am never smoking again," Spike muttered, trying to avoid bringing up what occurred.

"Was the kiss that bad?" she bluntly stated, removing the cigarette to knock some more ash off.

Spike almost choked on his breath as she outright said what he wanted to ignore. Pushing the thought back, he glanced up to the leaves of the sky that provided shade before looking straight forward; there were members on the lacrosse team playing for fun. Spike watched the six guys and five girls simply have fun, laughing at what was presumably an in joke. Lip twitching, Spike felt a tightening around his chest.

_Sorry, this game is for humans, not iguana's. We're not playing tag with a lizard_.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Scootaloo's voice said. Glancing over, Spike saw a look of contempt directed towards those playing lacrosse. She ground her teeth as she dropped the cigarette, seemingly having finished it during Spike's thoughts.

"People like them? They never knew struggles. Y'know?" Scootaloo clearer her throat a bit. "What it's like to go to school and wonder if someone's gonna fuck you over because you're different or you're opinion is different. Little cunts, I should go over there and shank one. Really give 'em a reason to hate people like me."

Spike found himself worrying more than anything. "I don't think we should shank them… but it makes us smarter. We know what it's like to feel low, so we can be confident knowing that we're the better man."

Scoffing, Scootaloo let out a coarse groan. "There are no better men or women. Just those who know what it's like, and those who don't."

Spike's eyes turned away from Scootaloo as he brought his knees closer, hugging himself as the words sunk in.

"People just have it easy. Life sucks and we can't do anything without being blamed, ya know?" Spike asked, shaking his head as his voice threatened to break.

"_Ma'am, Spike was the one who attacked me."_

"_Yeah, Felix was trying to open his snack and Spike just jumped him."_

"_Spike, is this true?"_

"_What!? No, it's not."_

"_Spike, don't lie. Four boys said they saw you jump him."_

Shaking his head, Spike couldn't stop tears from flowing as the thoughts continued to bombard his mind. Scootaloo's words had some merit and right now, even if it didn't feel right, he felt like he didn't even deserve Scootaloo's affection.

"_Spike, what have I told you about picking fights? I—Twilight, go to your room, your younger brother is in trouble! Spike, do we have to baby you? Pack your lunches, dress you and send you off to school with a supervisor?"_

"_N-n-no, I d-didn't do anyt-thing."_

Spike's thoughts were cut short as he felt an arm wrap around him once more, although a little more rough. Scootaloo wasn't overly strong but she managed to drag Spike over a few centimetres before comfortably resting her arm over his shoulder, patting him gently. Spike did his best to wipe away the tears pricking his eyes as the events of the last few days sunk in more. Even if it was weird and unexpected and even different from the Scootaloo he knew, she was still opening up to him so fast.

"Thanks, Scootaloo," Spike said, sitting upright as he draped an arm over her shoulder as well.

"Don't mention it, Rainbow Dash says you should always hear out your friends," she said, relishing in the warm contact.

"Well… I definitely don't need a massage anymore. That little talk did wonders for my mind." Spike grinned.

"I take it a good fuck is out of the question?" Scootaloo asked, rubbing her head against Spike's larger shoulder. "Pipsqueak may be taken."

"Haha, haa, haha, no, no, you need to take me out to dinner for that," Spike muttered. "Seriously though, I've got my eyes on someone."

"Apologies," Scootaloo said as the realization kicked in.

"Nah, you didn't know. Plus, at least it was with someone who wants to talk to me."

Scootaloo smiled to hear him be so understanding and kind. She didn't have a lot of people in her life like that. Encouraged by his good nature, she squeezed him tightly once more.

"You coming to practise after school today, Spike?" Scootaloo asked cheerily.

"Uh, yeah, I was planning on it," he nodded shyly as she finally let him go.

"Good, I might hang around for it then," she beamed, leaning back against the rigid bark of the tree.

[*][*][*]

Rainbow Dash groaned as she leaned down to lay out the other end of the high-step training ropes, Applejack placing the other end down across from her. Her body still ached from the game, and she never hesitated to whine about it. Applejack however, remained silent about the bruises or aches she had received in the same game.

"Man, AJ, I'm dying over here, can we cancel practice and just go lay down?" Rainbow Dash complained grouchily, rubbing her shoulder.

"Ah gave y'that massage already, what more d'you want?" Applejack argued simply, having been talked into rubbing her captain's aches more than once.

"Oh, so much more," Rainbow Dash grinned as she stepped in closer to the farmer, tilting her head and speaking provocatively. "Come on, let's just skip practice today. I can make it _well_ worth your while."

"Skippin' practice?" The pair flinched to hear a third, deeper voice. "Just what Ah'd expect from a lazy halfback." Rainbow Dash twitched as she recognized the voice she was not particularly fond of listening to, though the accent was familiarly echoed in her best friend's own tone.

"Lazy? Clearly somebody didn't see my awesome touchdown in that game last night," Rainbow Dash denied the accusation promptly, peering over Applejack's shoulder as the tall, broad man approached them.

"Well that sure wasn't the kinda game Ah expected," the older boy chuckled lightly as Applejack turned around to look at him. "Shoot, that wasn't much of a match at all, f'ya ask me."

"No one asked you," Rainbow Dash snapped back as her temper flared. "How about we try a match of my fist against your face?"

"You sure haven't changed." The orange-haired boy stopped merely a foot behind Applejack and snorted at the shorter, rainbow-headed girl who he never really liked.

"What're y'doin' here, Mac?" Applejack asked curiously as she put her hand on Rainbow's shoulder, calming her down.

"Ran into an ol' buddy o'mine at the field yesterday. Ah sure wasn't 'bout t'miss you an' Apple Bloom's first loss, now was Ah?" Big Mac smiled at his younger sister fondly.

"First _and_ last," Rainbow Dash corrected irritably.

"Ah hope so, seein' as how Ah'm around now," Mac suggested, and the two girls exchanged odd expressions.

"Beg Pardon?" Applejack finally asked, noticing that he was trying to get something across that she was not picking up on.

"Y'heard me," he nodded sternly as he revealed his intentions. "Ah was told y'still need an assistant coach."

"Are y'volunteerin'?" his younger sister wondered curiously.

"Shoot me now, we've actually become desperate enough to have some blue-collar has-been take an interest. Good God, we're a feel-good family movie. I repeat, shoot me now," Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and grumbled.

"That might be the best idea y'ever did have," Big Mac looked down at her dully. "We'd be better off without a big-mouthed liability as captain."

"What'd you say?! Those are some big words for a simple farm boy," Rainbow proved his point by snapping at him aggressively.

"Easy now, you two," Applejack inserted herself between the two as they stepped forwards and glared at each other.

"Ah think Ah said it real clear like," the oldest Apple sibling puffed out his chest, "from what Ah r'member, you're a no-good, yella'-bellied—"

"I'll have you know, my belly is white as a sheet," Rainbow Dash growled, leaning closer and grabbing the bottom hem of her shirt roughly, "besides the _hicky_ your little sister left on it last night, wanna see?!"

"Rainbow!" Applejack hurriedly leapt in front of her and grabbed her hands, holding her shirt down and blushing bright red, though Big Mac couldn't see since her back was facing him. Not only did Applejack not want Rainbow Dash pulling her shirt up for all to see, though she probably wouldn't pull it up too high (probably being the most questionable word), but if she still had that bruise on her stomach, it might make her teasing seem all the more truthful.

"You talkin' bad about Apple Bloom?" the older brother asked protectively.

"Naw, she meant me," Applejack admitted sheepishly as she felt Rainbow Dash's hands slip around her own as a dirty little smile crossed her lips. Big Mac grunted in question as he leaned closer, and Applejack realized what she had made it sound like. "Not that it's true! That's just the way she—!"

Applejack gulped as her hands were guided under her captain's shirt, where she could feel Rainbow's hot, toned stomach. Applejack's face lit up even brighter as if steam would come out of her ears, and she instinctively stepped back against Big Mac's chest. Rainbow Dash followed without hesitation and moved devilishly closer, forcing Applejack's hands higher until her fingertips touched the bottom of Rainbow's bra.

"—Jokes," Applejack thoughtlessly managed to finish her hanging sentence with a breathy exhale. She closed her eyes to calm to erratic heartbeat and forced her curiously shaking hands out of her best friend's shirt, much to her disappointment.

"Ah don't think that's funny," Big Mac said honestly, looking down at his sister as she gathered herself.

"Duh, you're a big monotonous hulk," Rainbow shrugged with a smirk, before returning to the topic. "Besides, Applejack loves it."

"No way no how, AJ ain't like that," Big Mac refuted instantly.

"Who are you to say how she is?" Rainbow snorted to hear Applejack's brother talking like he knew her so well.

"Her big brother," Big Mac replied bluntly.

"Oh, really? Well, thanks for clearing that up! What a revelation!" Rainbow Dash threw her arms up, and Applejack felt caught in the middle, though she was still too flustered to speak. "Trust me, buddy, Applejack is totally smitten with me, and how could she not be?"

"Sounds like you done made up somethin' that ain't never gonna come true," Big Mac shook his finger at the girl and glared at her. "AJ would never be in'erested in a smart-ass, big-headed dolt like you."

"What's with all the hostility? You haven't even seen me much in like, what, the last several years? You should be a little nicer to your future sister-in-law," Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the more threatening boy.

"Your future's gettin' shorter with each word there, missy," Big Mac warned as his voice dropped lower.

"Al'right, that's enough!" Applejack shoved them apart at last, "Now Ah don't wanna hear one more sharp-ended word from either of you, y'hear? Mac, if you're gonna be part'a the team, y'gotta put up with Rainbow, she's captain for a reason. An' Rainbow, Mac's a good player an' he's selfless enough t'come down an' help us out. Both o'you better learn to deal with each other, 'cause Ah ain't gonna put up with y'bickerin' and fightin' on the field."

"Okay Applejack, you're right," Rainbow Dash agreed with a nod, bowing her head and playing the role of the bigger man. "You have my word."

"What, just like that?" Applejack blinked in surprise.

"Of course, baby, so long as I can keep bickering with you," she said as her voice dipped back into that seductive tone Applejack knew too well. "And by bickering, I mean shamelessly flirting."

"Oh good lord," the older of the two Apple siblings rolled his eyes and grumbled.

"Mac, y'said that y'ran into an old buddy o'yours at the game?" Applejack directed the attention back to Big Mac's presence. "Who were y'talkin' about?"

"Oh, right. Yer still friend's with his lil' sister, and he tells me his brother's on the team with you t'boot," Big Mac began to explain as the tension in the air lifted, "Y'remember Shining Armour, don'tcha?"

"Jeez Mac, I didn't need an introduction," another, lighter and smoother voice chimed in as the man in question approached them.

"There y'are, did y'talk with th'sports department?" Big Mac asked as he turned to face his friend.

"Of course I did, they said it was no problem at all if we help out, since the team doesn't have much of a permanent coach or faculty supervision." Shining Armour stopped a few feet away from the group as he spoke.

"Right, well Ah'll be around s'much as Ah can, but you gotta take the lead on this one, partner," the farmer boy admitted.

"Don't think that means you have any less say around here, I'll need my right hand man," Shining Armour smiled warmly and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with the amount of sausage joining this team and staff," Rainbow Dash crossed her arms grouchily and glared at the older boys. "But if it means I'll get to spend less time getting this team's shit together and more time ogling and fondling Applejack's body, I guess I'm in."

"How selfless of you," Applejack grumbled with a smirk as she evaded a wandering hand and playfully shoved her friend a foot farther away.

"What can I say? I do it for the kids," Rainbow shrugged lazily but swung behind Applejack and, without warning, grabbed at her breasts and squeezed fondly one by one, "Gala and Jazz."

"Hey!" Applejack yelped as blush graced her face, and Big Mac's eyebrows dropped low to watch his sister be felt up like that. Shining Armour sort of chuckled a bit, but only to himself, knowing Mac would likely konk him on the head.

"And don't forget the Sweetangoes." Rainbow's hands dropped down her body and rounded her rear, feeling the hidden treasure adoringly.

"Why am Ah more surprised b'how many kinds'a apples y'can name rather than the inappropriate touchin'?" Applejack murmured questioningly as she raised a twitching eyebrow at her friend, whose smile grew larger.

"Because you crave it," the amorous captain dragged out her words as her arms wrapped around the farmer's waist, embracing her.

"Ah know y'can handle yourself, AJ, but if y'don't stop her Ah will," Big Mac's deep and sonorous voice boomed dangerously.

"She's harmless," Applejack brushed the topic away as she wriggled out of the hold. "Any who, the rest o'the team'll be out shortly, we usually meet b'the bleachers, c'mon Ah'll introduce y'all."

Applejack gestured for the older boys to follow after her, and without question they did. Along the way, Applejack finished setting up a few quick training areas as some of the team members came out onto the field.

Big Mac kept his eye on the short rainbow-headed captain, concerned about what her influence might have done to the team. He was certain that it sure would be difficult to follow somebody quite so eccentric and unpredictable. Besides that, he was somewhat surprised that Applejack had remained such close friends with the girl, he hardly saw any reason or appeal. Even though he had not seen much of Rainbow Dash lately, what he did know of her from when she was younger was enough to keep him on his toes. He knew that Applejack could take care of herself and make her own decisions, but Mac never had much of a liking for her choice of best friend. In his head, Rainbow Dash was still an aggressive little delinquent.

Just as Applejack had said, the rest of the team made their way out to the field in a matter of moments. Being the first practice after their first game, and first loss for that matter, the majority of the players were in something of a funk. And though he had come out of the game with a better understanding of his own abilities, Spike was no exception.

He moseyed onto the field shortly after most of the other players, staring at his feet the whole while. If he looked up, he'd have to recognize the acquaintances around him, and if he did that, it would be awkward since he really had nothing worthwhile to talk about. He wasn't sure if Scootaloo was actually going to practice anyway, and if she did she was usually later than most of the team.

One thing that struck Spike as odd was that Rainbow Dash was not screaming at him, or anyone for that matter. Usually as they shuffled out she would have a thing or two to say about anyone who didn't immediately race over to her for instruction, but she did none of those things. Spike followed Pipsqueaks heels over to the usual bleachers and found somewhere to stand that was out of the way, shuffling about still getting used to wearing an actual uniform that fit him.

"Hey, little buddy," Spike perked up to her the more than familiar, masculine tone. "You sure look sharp in that Manticore red."

"Shining Armour?" the younger boy spoke his name with surprise, looking up at his brother.

"Hey look at that, you remember me." Shining Armour reached down and patted him on the shoulder. "And here I thought you didn't call because you forgot about me."

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Spike looked away uncomfortably, though he knew better than to be shy in front of his brother. "I didn't know your number."

"I live in residence, not Vanhoover, you could have just asked Twilie." Shining Armour smiled at his brother, but noticing his less than enthusiastic expression, he dropped the subject. "You're growing up fast there, aren't you? Last I saw you were up to my elbow, now you're just a head below me."

"It helps with the whole football thing," Spike shrugged nonchalantly and fidgeted with the hem of his still fresh uniform shirt. "Speaking of which, did Twilight call you down here?"

"Well, she did, but she was a bit late on it," he chuckled a bit as he ran his hand through his dark hair, "I had already planned on stopping by to see if I could lend some expertise."

"So, you're just stopping by, then?" Spike asked, feeling somehow disappointed by the idea that his brother might leave so soon.

"Not exactly, I brought Big Mac along with me, and together we're going to coach and supervise your team," Shining Armour looked back at his old friend, who was glaring something awful at the girl who made faces behind his back. "That is, if he can learn to get along with your captain."

"Don't hold your breath," Spike huffed a laugh at the prospect, as he himself was still trying to cope with the obnoxious girl. In fact, she didn't seem too personable with most of the team, besides Applejack of course.

"Well, we should all gather up I guess, we've got a lot planned for this practise," Shining Armour tugged on his little brother's sleeve, pulling him close after.

"You do?" Spike wondered as he followed, watching as the other players fell in around them. Except for Rainbow Dash, she yanked on Applejack's arm and stopped her from going on ahead. Shining Armour looked back as if to call after them, but this time Spike put his hand on the taller boy and kept him moving. "Don't bother, they'll come along eventually."

"Whadd'ya want?" Applejack grumbled grouchily as she was dragged another few paces away from the rest of the team. "Somethin' botherin' you?"

"Well, I was just wondering... why does your brother not like me? Did I do something to piss him off?" Rainbow Dash asked suddenly, wrapping her arm around her friend and leaning in close as if keeping the conversation from any eavesdroppers.

"I dunno, he ain't told me nothin'." Applejack shrugged dully.

"Is it because I got him stung by a dozen bees when I made him chase us through the orchard a few years ago?" she wondered, puckering her lips as she tried to think of another reason. "Is it because I said he looked bad in skinny jeans when he tried to pull those off?"

"Shoot, y'should have seen him _actually_ pull those off," Applejack laughed at the thought, remembering how frazzled and frustrated Big Mac had been. "He had t'hold up his boxers while Ah pulled 'em down by the ankles."

"Is it because I took his porn collection and taped pictures of Granny Smith and Apple Bloom's faces on all the naked girls?" Rainbow Dash gasped as she remembered such an instance.

"No Ah don't—wait, that was you?!" Applejack spun around and glared at her captain accusingly, pointing her finger between them, "He blamed me 'cause mine was th' only face that wasn't used!"

"Duh, I kept those for myself." Rainbow grinned deviously as Applejack pouted and blushed about the whole thing. The captain gasped again as she thought up another reason, and grabbed Applejack by the shoulders suddenly. "Wait, is it because he's secretly in love with you, but you are clearly already submissively devoted to me?!"

"There are s'many things wrong with what'chu just said," Applejack grumbled blankly, knowing to take Rainbow with a grain of salt. Sighing, she took her friends hands and spoke frankly to her. "Listen honey, Ah don't think Ah'm the one t'tell you why there's bad blood between y'two. That sounds like somethin' y'should answer."

"Yeah, maybe," Rainbow nodded slowly, but got a better idea, "Or I could just answer the question that's plaguing your mind."

"And what might that be?" the farmer raised her eyebrow in question.

"What I did with those pictures," Rainbow winked and grinned wider, loving Applejack's blushing reaction. "Or what I plan to do to you?"

"Ah don't think Ah wanna know," she squeaked out, more affected by the idea than she wanted to let on.

"Oh? Do you prefer surprises?" Rainbow Dash's eyes dropped down to her friend's body, and her fingers followed soon after. "I'll be gentle, I swear."

"Ah don't believe that for a second!" Applejack pulled away and smacked her somewhat soft and tender hands away, trying to drop the subject.

"Well, if you're done chatting, the team's waiting," Rainbow smirked and took Applejack's hand, leading her to the rest of the players.

"Me, chattin'?" Applejack scoffed as she pulled her hand back and followed her captain to the team, catching the end of some kind of introduction.

"So one of us will be here almost every practice," Shining Armour finished explaining the situation to the rest of the team, who were still rather despondent. "We already talked to coach Snowflake about it and he's fine with letting us come and take over."

"Of course he is, he's never shown up to practise once," Rainbow Dash spoke up, which was true after all, "he's too busy with his own fitness to give a crap about ours."

"Whatever the case, it's clear that most of you have not had proper training, especially the linemen," he continued, and heard Rainbow Dash grumble something aggressive under her breath. "Your captain's been taking over most of the training, but considering she's not usually right in the line with the rest of you, I don't expect her to have much knowledge of it. Hence why we're here."

"All right big shot, what makes you think that you can do better?" the captain crossed her arms.

"Easy, I myself am a defensive lineman," Shining Armour explained, "I'm sure you know a whole lot more than I do about plays and handoffs, but the rest of your players probably won't need to know any of that stuff. The line makes up the backbone of the team, they're the ones who keep you from getting caught and protect your quarterback from getting sacked."

"He's got a point," Applejack shrugged passively.

"I don't know a lot of linemen who join the debate club, so how about you quit yapping and start training these knuckleheads?" Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow.

"I couldn't agree more," Shining Armour cleared his throat and gestured for everyone to come in closer. "Before I get into the meat of it, I have a little exercise for you all."

"Do we have to do that crazy circuit again?" Hoops whined loudly, and some of the others shared the lack of enthusiasm.

"Ah ain't runnin' this practise," Apple Bloom cut in, frowning at their laziness, "But y'all could sure benefit from it."

"No, no, it's nothing like that. This is about team building and trust, it's important that as a group you know you can lean on your fellow players. Besides that, it's best to get any personal shyness out of the way, it won't help you on the field." Shining Armour looked out at the team, who all seemed untrusting and stood good distances apart. "I want you to turn to each of your fellow players, and I want you to hug them."

"Hug them?" several uneasy whispers were heard as the group looked around at each other.

"That's what I said. I want you to put your arms around each other, I want you to grab your teammate's jersey, and I want you to squeeze." Shining Armour noticed the awkward uncertainty between the players, and that was exactly what he wanted to get rid of. "Look, you're going to have to touch each other when you tackle. These people around you, they're your only allies out on the field, you have to trust them and be okay with getting close. So do it."

Spike gulped nervously as he watched some of the guys grumble and put their arms around each other. At first, it was stiff and difficult, and no one would look at each other. But as the hugs spread around, they got somewhat more playful and rough, and some would squeeze harder as some kind of competition. Still, the anxious young boy stood still and watched. That is, until he was nearly knocked over by a set of arms that flew around him.

Feeling the two firm rounds of flesh under fitting jersey against his back, he knew immediately who it was. That, and the obnoxious giggle that came along and the faint scent of tobacco. Spike peered back at his attacker, whose bright pink hair framed her grinning face.

"Why's everyone hugging? We turning into some girl scout troup, selling candy to afford our jerseys?" Scootaloo asked as she looked around at the rest of the team, clinging to Spike's neck.

"It's a trust exercise or something," Spike explained simply.

Scootaloo looked over at Apple Bloom, who was trying her best to get her hands all the way around Pipsqueak's body. It was even funnier once he picked the little girl up, and she squirmed in his big arms. As an interesting idea came to mind, Scootaloo dragged the protesting Spike over to her childhood friend.

While Pipsqueak still held Apple Bloom up in the air in an embrace, Scootaloo threw one arm around the both of them and pulled Spike into the group hug. With his size, Pipsqueak easily accepted the others into his arms and likely could have picked them all up off the ground. Spike tensed up as arms surrounded him, and he felt rather embarrassed even if everyone around them was doing the same thing. But though he was uncomfortable, he did feel a bit better about being in such close vicinity to the others. Maybe Shining Armour actually knew what he was talking about.

"Aww, ain't that cute?" Applejack smiled as she watched the younger kids squeeze each other, laugh and complain. It especially made her happy to see both Spike and her little sister engaged.

"Our turn!" Rainbow Dash jumped onto Applejack and latched her arms around her.

"Rainbow, we ain't gotta do it!" Applejack struggled a bit but eventually succumbed to the familiar feeling of her best friend draped over her. For a girl who claimed was never much for hugs, Rainbow Dash sure loved to put her arms around the farmer.

"Who's touchin' me there?" Apple Bloom squeaked as she was caught in the middle of the group hug.

"Count yourself lucky! Nobody's even tried to grope me yet!" Scootaloo whined as they all squeezed once more before letting go and stepping away.

"Okay, now that we've got that out of the way," Shining Armour cleared his throat to get everyone's attention once more, "let me tell you a little story about myself when I first started playing football."

Spike perked up to hear such a thing. Ever since he was a little boy, Shining Armour had always been into football, and he had never been told any stories about the beginnings. Stories like that were before his time; well, before his time around Shining Armour.

"I was quite a big younger than most of you, I was still in middle school at the time. My little sister Twilight used to come out and see some of my games, even though she didn't really understand it," Shining Armour began to explain. "I remember pretty clearly this one question she asked, she said, '_Shining Armour, why do you guys all crouch on the grass like that? Don't your hands get dirty?_' and yeah, it sounded pretty funny to me too."

Several of the boys laughed, and Spike hoped that they weren't laughing at Twilight. But the more he himself thought about the question, the more he couldn't think up an answer. It was just the way it was done, it was easier to get a grip from there and a better way to get a running start if you needed.

"But honestly, I didn't have an answer. I mean, we all understand it by doing it, it gets us closer to the enemy and from there we can secure a better hold for a tackle. But that did not really satisfy someone like her, who was not much for action." The team looked around at each other, wondering where he was going with this. "You probably know that we train linemen to stay low with things like trap chutes, but why is that? I mean, after a while we all get tired, our backs begin to ache and bending down like that can be a bit of a pain. So, why do we do it?"

"It's a solid stance?" Pipsqueak raised his hand, and Shining Armour pointed to him and nodded.

"Exactly. Do you know why?" the older man asked, and with an awkward shuffle, most of the linemen shook their heads.

"Because we're closer to the ground, right?" Spike ventured a guess, and again, his brother nodded agreeably.

"Yes. When we get lower to the ground, we can use it for support. It also gives us the ability to shuffle sideways easier and provides an effective way to hold the line. Can you imagine playing football on a field made of soap?" Shining Armour asked, and most of the players chuckled at the idea. "But my sister took it upon herself to try and understand exactly what was so beneficial about it. Do you know what the answer was?" He peered around, but no guesses came up. "Geometry."

"You're joking, right?" Scootaloo proposed with an incredulous scoff, but this did not deter the older man.

"Not at all. Tell me, what happens when you apply a great deal of force to, say, a rectangle or a square? Like when a wrecking ball hits a building. It comes crashing down, right?" Shining told them, and they all agreed that would be the case, "Now say, you apply force to a circle. Like, you kick a ball. It's just going to roll with very little resistance, isn't it?"

"What does this have to do with football?" one of the linemen picked his ear with his pinky finger boredly.

"More than you'd think. All right, now what happens when you try to apply force to a _triangle_? Can anyone tell me?" Shining Armour looked around, but no one was really certain. "That one's a bit tricky, isn't it? Because not only is it more difficult to decide where to grip, but when you apply force, it actually works _against_ you. If you try and push it over, what you're really doing is driving the opposite corner deeper into the ground."

"So, a lineman's stance is supposed to be a triangle?" Spike deciphered, and the rest of the team seemed to see what he was getting at.

"You got it. With your legs spread wide and your body hunched low, you're at a much more advantageous position. And when you touch the grass with your hands, that gives you another sturdy point on the ground." He went on gesturing with his body, "So when you're up there in the line, remember to position yourself low and wide to the ground, letting your opponent use his own force against him. Push his body up or away to break his shape into something more like a rectangle, which is easily overcome."

"That does sound like an eggheaded explanation that Twilight would give," Rainbow Dash lazily yawned until Applejack smacked her on the back and interrupted it.

"But if you're anything like me, you're probably not really into math or science," Shining Armour chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "I was always more interested in the good stuff, like history and war. Anyone else like that kind of thing?"

"Sure, I'm down for a bit of carnage," Dumbbell and his friends agreed with a few laughs and high fives.

"Great. See the linemen here are kind of like infantry, foot soldiers. We have the unfortunate and often unrewarded duty of protecting our generals," Shining Armour explained as he looked through the group, spotting the linemen easily enough. "Think of it like this: thousands of years ago, Greek soldiers fought in what was known as a phalanx. It's a formation in which soldiers stood tightly packed against one another to hold off their enemies. You were equipped with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, but the shield was not to protect yourself."

"Then why carry it around?" Hoops asked obliviously.

"Because you used it to protect the man beside you, while you were protected by the man on your other side. It's a great analogy for teamwork: having to rely on the man at your side not to turn tail and leave you defenseless." While the team exchanged more uncertain looks, Shining Armour went on, "the line is one of the most important aspects of a good football team. And we need every man to be willing to stand beside his fellow player and protect him if need be."

"We didn't come here for a lecture," Rainbow Dash reminded him, but he brushed it off with a simple nod.

"How about a demonstration, then?" He smiled as he looked out at the makeshift bunch. "Who's my centre?"

"Me," Dumbbell nodded firmly as his position was called.

"Oh?" Shining Armour looked at his size and less than motivated stature, "and why is that, exactly?"

"'cause he can actually snap th'ball into m'hands." Applejack blankly answered for him, and the other linemen nervously snickered.

"Fair enough." He understood how necessary that was. "All right, I'll need the linemen to set up around their centre on the line here."

"What about the rest of us?" Scootaloo boredly asked.

"At one time or another you'll be facing a lineman on the field or having to perform like one, understanding their abilities is only going to help you when that happens," Shining Armour told the girl, who rolled her eyes. "Now, each lineman has to be both confident in their own stopping and tackling ability and reliant on their team mates for support. If you're already caught in the scrimmage and you see an enemy passing the line, you have to be aware of your own limits as well as your team's to make a valid call."

"Let's just get to the action already, I want to see Dumbbell fall on his ass," Rainbow Dash snickered as she watched him glare over at her.

"From what I saw at the game yesterday, you clearly haven't played together for very long. And for most of you, football is a relatively new sport. So, to make things interesting," Shining Armour gestured for Big Mac to come stand next to him opposite the line, "If you guys can hold the line against me and Mac here, we'll skip practise for today."

"Scratch that, don't you dare fall, Dumbbell!" Rainbow Dash threatened, changing her tune if it meant skipping practise.

The rest of the linemen seemed to like the idea just as much, and shared determined grins. Big Mac and Shining Armour looked over at each other knowingly, and got down into position opposite the younger boys. Shining Armour called for them to start, and immediately the lines collided.

Starting with one good heave, the line of players wrapped their arms around the two older boys, grasping for comfortable grips. Forcing their weight against only two opponents meant that their bodies were much closer together than they were accustomed to, and they staggered as arms and legs entwined. With hardly much effort, the two more experienced linemen exerted rising force in unison with each other, forcing the line back and into less sturdy stances.

Though he tried to him himself and the rest of the group up, Pipsqueak could feel feet stepping on his own and arms around him tugging his jersey down. Though large enough to have possibly taken on one of the larger men who stood opposite him, he was not quite comfortable enough in his own sizable body to know how to use it correctly. Besides that, the mass of his team mates was much more than he had anticipated, and unfortunately their mass was used against him instead of alongside him.

With another skilled heave from Mac and Shining, the line of players toppled over like dominoes.

Pipsqueak groaned, yanking himself off the ground. He didn't notice the other lineman atop his gut as he stood up, Hoops sliding off his lap and into the turf. The rest of the linemen were laid out, grumbling, with Pipsqueak being the only one to stand up immediately. Big Macintosh and Shining Armour were the only ones to come close to truly matching Pipsqueak in build yet the rest of the team's weakness dragged him down. They had attempted the triangle formation, failing to understand the concept.

Rainbow Dash and Apple Bloom stood from the side, both furious yet the younger girl fuming. Rainbow was struggling not to break her clipboard; Apple Bloom broke hers a long time prior. A curious glance from Rainbow's part worried her a bit as Apple Bloom's face was seemingly going red, if not blue. She grit her teeth in frustration and stomped towards Pipsqueak. Big Macintosh noticed this and stepped into talk.

"Now sis, Ah don't want ya—"

"**Can it**!" Apple Bloom nearly bit his head right off.

Surprisingly, Big Macintosh nodded his head, turning away while Pipsqueak nervously looked around him as the Dumbbells stood up. Stepping forward, Apple Bloom threw a fist forward, hitting Pipsqueak right in the gut. Surprising everyone, he stumbled back, collapsing to the ground.

"Out of all y'all, Ah expected _them_ t' fall, but you, Pipsqueak? Ah don't think yer tryin' very hard, are ya?" she howled.

Applejack, Twilight, Spike and the rest watched on, feeling a bit of pity as Pipsqueak stumbled to his feet, the butt-end of Apple Bloom's lecture. Applejack started moving towards her sister regardless.

"What's all that muscle for? Lookin' pretty?" Apple Bloom shouted merely inches from his face, "Well y'better drop that attitude 'cause if ya don't you'll be lookin' like Frankenstein's parents after the other teams beat th' hell outta ya, y'sorry excuse for a lineman!"

"S-sorry," Pipsqueak muttered, his voice breaking back to a far thicker accent regardless of his years immersed in the culture.

"Sorry? Oh, y'will be once—" Apple Bloom was cut off by the arm that wrapped around her head and covered her mouth.

"Don't take it too hard," Applejack chimed in, much less angry than her younger sister who she held still despite her squeaky muffled struggles. "All it means is w'gotta improve on a couple things, right? A hard day's work is good for th'soul, ain't it?"

"Uh, right," Pipqueak was uncertain if he should agree, considering it might make Apple Bloom madder.

"Nothin' worth gettin' is ever got for free," Applejack smiled as she restrained her sister a little tighter, though her hands were now on Applejack's arm, pinching it. "C'mon sis, y'can't shout at th' apples t' ripen, can you?"

Spike watched the conversation from well outside of the danger zone, listening carefully. He had to agree with Applejack, you sure can't just yell and hope things get better, and surely nothing good ever comes without trial. Apple Bloom stopped wrestling with her sister's arm at last, and leaned back to look up at her from their slim height difference. Noticing her less that furious expression, Applejack released her.

"Why y'always gotta be so smart?" Apple Bloom asked in a pout, irritated that most of her anger had dissipated without much of a satisfying scream.

"Smart? Tell that t'my math teacher!" Applejack laughed as she messed her sister's hair up a little bit.

Pipsqueak was relieved as he noticed Apple Bloom's usual cute exterior return. Spike continued to observe: the way Big Mac smirked smugly at his younger sisters' relationship, the way the Dumbbells seemed to finally understand how much they had left to learn, the way Rainbow Dash clutched her clipboard to her chest and gawked, starry-eyed at Applejack. Spike broke a smile at the last one, his captain for once not seeming so intimidating or obnoxious.

"Still," Apple Bloom started as she looked back at the poor excuses for linemen, "that sure was one pitiful p'formance! We got a lotta stuff t'work on. Mac, y'couldn't have come at a better time."

"Ah see that," Big Mac chuckled in his low voice. "How d'yer practises usually go?"

"Oh, oh!" Apple Bloom bounced up and down, surprising the whole group before running over to the remains of her clipboard and sifting through the scattered pages. "These 're m'notes and circuits n' stuff."

She handed the sheets over to Big Mac, whose usually dull eyes widened to see what was written on them. He flipped through them speedily then showed them to Shining Armour, who also seemed surprised.

"'s like your breeding a whole group o' Pipsqueaks," Big Mac looked over at the large boy, who sheepishly laughed, "Well, this is sure a good start."

"Start?" Rainbow Dash repeated as her expression fell, "I don't like the sound of that."

"Lemme see here," Big Mac's eyes ran down the sheet, and his eyes jumped up to players as he read their names, "We got Dumbbell as our centre, Pipsqueak an' Score as guards, an' Hoops an' Snips as our tackles. That right?"

"Sounds like it," Applejack nodded as the named boys perked up.

"Then, our receivers 're Scootaloo and Featherweight," Big Mac continued to read as Applejack walked up behind him.

"An' we got Snails as a relief, he's a fine receiver too," Applejack told her brother as she pointed to the name on the clipboard.

"Right, then Spike's our tight end an' kicker; both, really?" Mac looked up at the boy, and approved of what he saw, "'kay, then we got you as quarterback AJ, 'course, Apple Bloom's our fullback an', uh, halfback's that lil' punk Dash."

"Be nice, Mac," Applejack swatted him on the arm, though he didn't give any indication to show it bothered him.

"Yea', yea', al'right then. Shining Armour, y'wanna gimme a hand here layin' out the training schedule?" Mac turned to his friend.

"You don't even have to ask," he agreed readily as he patted Mac on the shoulder supportively.

It wasn't as carefree or goofy as the practises were back when Rainbow Dash and Applejack were in charge, but it certainly was more focused. Each player received specifically modified training that best suited their position, but they were all forced into most of the agility and stamina building techniques.

Everything was a little more organized now that Big Mac and Shining Armour were around, and that was beneficial to the whole team. Besides that, Big Mac got to spend a little more time with his little sisters, which he hadn't been able to since he went off to college. Shining Armour also got to see Spike, and he could already tell just how alike he was to his sister, even if the two weren't as close as it seemed.

Spike fiddled with his fingers in his pockets as he watched Scootaloo and Apple Bloom playfully reminiscing by the fence after practise. He distantly wished that he could have had that kind of connection, that kind of long-standing relationship that could be reignited just like that. But that was a silly idea. Shining Armour came up behind him and noticed where the young boy's attention laid. With a familiar smile, he placed his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"You should go over there," Shining Armour told Spike, but received no immediate answer, "they seem like good kids."

"No, I'd just bum them out."

Spike knew better than to force himself into groups like that, with his poor self esteem and attitude he always dragged the mood down. That was just the way it was. Still, Shining Armour just lightly laughed at the sentiment, shaking his head.

"You're just like Twilie was when she was young," his older brother told him surely, remembering having just the same trouble trying to get Twilight to open up.

"Twilight's got plenty of friends," Spike argued with a frown, crossing his arms defiantly and tensing up his shoulders.

"Now she does, yeah," Shining Armour nodded in agreement, as indeed she had made some truly good friends. "But she didn't always. There was a time when she thought friends were silly, when books were enough for her."

Spike scoffed, knowing there sure was something appealing about objects rather than people, "Books don't mock you or tease you."

"They don't do much at all," Shining Armour reminded his brother carefully. He cracked a smile as he thought up something else, "They sure can't drag you senselessly into a group hug."

"I don't like hugs," Spike was adamant on that point.

"Not yet." His older brother pushed him gently on the back, guiding him towards the others. "Go on, Spike. Looks like they want you just as much as you want them, even if you won't admit it." Noticing such resistance from the young boy, his expression became sterner, "Do you want me to make you do the hug exercise again?"

"No, no, I get it," Spike bolted away from the threat and took a few quick steps towards Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.

"Oh, and you might need this," Shining Armour held out the small electronic object, and Spike's eyes widened.

"When did you take that?!" Spike snatched his cell phone back from his older brother's hands, shoving it deep into his pocket.

"I programed my number into it, and Big Mac's too, so now you have no reason not to call." Shining Armour placed his own hands into his pockets, casually turning away with a smug smirk. "Later, little bro."

"Yeah," Spike watched the taller boy walk over to Big Mac, and swallowed a bit of his anxiety, "Bye."

With that, he took what little advice his older brother gave him and turned back towards his could-be friends. They were still laughing about something, though Apple Bloom looked a little uncertain. Scootaloo caught sight of Spike approaching them, and eagerly waved him over.


	7. Rarity's Number

With his brother showing him proper training techniques and strengthening his body, Spike began to feel his confidence and self image inflating. There was certainly a lot of room to inflate, considering he was usually quite uneasy and overly conscious about that sort of thing. Like he had imagined though, over the next week or so, Felix had taken special interest in prodding him about the game. At first, Spike had considered that he deserved it, but as the team's ability grew well past their loss, Felix's focus on their blunder began to grow tiresome.

Spike was on his way to school the same route he always took. Walking had become habitual even though he could have hitched a ride with his sister. It was better for his fitness for one thing, and Twilight just loved to get to school almost an hour before it started to study. Spike was not interested in that at all.

He knew the shortcuts well enough to dip into and around alleys on his way, as the streets of Manehattan were often annoyingly crowded. The only unfortunate thing about his route was that Felix knew it all too well, considering it intersected with his own. Spike was hoping that leaving for school a good while early might mean he avoided the aggressive boy, but he was sadly mistaken.

"Well, look who decided to climb out of his terrarium early this morning," Felix's snotty voice was almost as bothersome as a protruding crack in the sidewalk that could have tripped Spike, and just the same, it stalled him.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it okay, I'm a wimp or a wuss or whatever and losing to girls was so shameful, can I just go now?" Spike glared at the shorter boy, who fell into step beside his as he plucked the cigarette from his lips and flicked the ashes off twice.

Spike frowned as he smelled the familiar toxic product, something he now knew first hand. He wasn't certain how he felt about the smell at all, whether to associate it with the girl who seemed to have some interest in him or to pin it as some sick habit of a wannabe-badass punk like Felix. As the smoke blew intentionally into his face from Felix's exhale, he decided he was not too fond of that particular brand.

"Do you think I'm that predictable?" sounded a bit irritable, and Spike wasn't sure if he should answer truthfully. "No, no, I was just stopping by to give you a good old friendly hello. Maybe we could go grab some breakfast together, I'm sure the pet store down the block has some juicy crickets or mealworms for you."

"Right," Spike rolled his eyes boredly as Felix chuckled. He had certainly grown tired of this whole reptile thing, there couldn't possibly be too many more clever lines he could think of.

"And it sure would be nice of you to invite that girl you've been hanging out with," Felix continued, and Spike's expression became more serious. "One of the many who could probably kick your ass. You know the one, with the short pink hair and the nice tits. From the looks of her, I bet she's an easy fuck."

"Shut your mouth," Spike growled lowly, his anger seeping out of him in the form of a detestable glare.

"No need to boil that cold blood of yours, boss," Felix smirked as he noticed the livid reaction. "You know I still owe you a good right hook for when that behemoth stepped in to save your sorry ass. I just might collect on that today, with interest."

"And risk messing up that perfectly gelled hair of yours? Sure," Spike scoffed, not really caring any more. He probably took worse hits from practice than Felix's tiny fists.

"You asked for it," Felix huffed a laugh and flicked his cigarette to the side, hardly waiting an instant long enough to ball up his fist before he slammed his hand into Spike's jaw.

Without a second thought, Spike lashed back out with a firm elbow cut into Felix's chest. As the smaller boy stumbled back, winded, Spike came back again and thrust two hands hard against the same spot, knocking him into the bottom ladder of some fire escape. Felix cringed in pain as the metal bars left lines of ache across his back, but noticing Spike stepping forward to continue the barrage, he retaliated.

Spike leaned forward and took hold of Felix's shirt, having little else to hold him upright after the swift kick he received to the knee. Hating the feeling of being the one grabbed and held up rather than the other way around, Felix executed an uppercut against Spike's chin, knocking the larger boy off of him.

Though the impact of Felix's fist rattled his teeth, Spike was accustomed to taking hits from both this bully and his football team, so it hardly paused him. Spike japped a hard right hook towards his enemy's face, only to find it slip between the ladder bars as Felix dodged out of the way. He winced as his chest collided with the rest of the ladder due to the force of his missed hit, but he kept on going anyway.

Sliding around the ladder, Spike came after Felix once more. It became more apparent as the blows were exchanged that Felix was not so confident about his own victory as he often was. Not only was he alone against the larger boy, but Spike had definitely changed in his movements and motivations. Felix was shoved against the wall beneath the fire escape roughly, though his expression told little of his uncertainty.

Spike was furious, and yet seeing the boy standing there with a disconcerned expression seemed to alleviate some of his anger. Not only that, but he remembered how many times Felix had turned any retaliation back on him. Whether it was physical or getting him in trouble with teachers, it seemed Felix was always at an advantage.

With a frustrated groan, Spike slammed his fist into the wall beside Felix's head, not having the courage to finish him the way he himself would have been finished. Though the skin on his knuckles broke and splintered due to the rough brick of the wall, he continued to press it up against the wall. Felix smirked and shook his head, seemingly amused.

"What, that's it?" he snickered a bit as he broke out of Spike's begrudging hold with ease. "You ain't even worth the time. You're right, my hair is more important than a cheap lizard-brain like you."

Felix pushed off the wall and nudged Spike away with a bump of his shoulder, walking in the direction of school without a worry. He adjusted the popped collar of his jacket and peeled another cigarette out of his pack, biting it hard between his teeth. Spike grunted, suppressing his anger before it rose out of control again. Waiting in the same spot, Spike looked at the scenery; it was the same spot they'd usually run into each other going to and from school. That same cobblestone brick road. Snuffing the thought, he proceeded towards school once more after allowing Felix a few minutes' head start.

Trudging towards school, he found himself gritting his teeth. The anger was still present and there was something… undeniably cathartic about expressing his anger, albeit physically. At the same time, Spike was pondering the meaning behind the brief rush of excitement he felt before shrugging it off as he came out from between the alley, spotting the school ahead. Panicking as he heard the bell ring, Spike sprinted towards the front doors.

Walking down a hallway, Spike pulled out a juice box while watching a slew of stereotypical groups walking by. He failed to see a small girl shoot by most of the groups before swerving towards him. Scootaloo collided into him, causing him to stumble over. Before he could pull himself up, Scootaloo immediately yanked on his arm, dragging him down the hall as he dropped the juice box. Sighing, he let the girl yank him through numerous groups of people before going through several doors leading outside. As usual, Scootaloo yanked him towards the same tree trunk they sat by for the past few weeks.

Pulling out his tiny lunch, Spike proceeded to eat as Scootaloo pulled out a half-finished cigarette. Wincing slightly as she relit the cigarette, Spike continued to eye her for a moment before sighing. He remembered the brief nicotine rush he felt beforehand and contemplated asking for a puff before remembering what exactly it was he was asking for. Shaking his head, he sighed.

"Scootaloo, can I ask you something?" Spike asked, whispering at first.

"Yes, Spike. You can touch them," she said, glee noticeable in her voice.

Gulping briefly, Spike scoffed at the thought, attempting to play it off. "N-not that. I mean, I dunno. I'm stressed out a lot lately and not because of the football game… but it didn't help that we lost." Scootaloo visibly got more serious, facing him as she blew a puff of smoke towards the boy. "And I want a legitimate way of cheering myself up, not temporary. Yet I can't. Not doing any hobbies of mine seems to help, and since you're knowledgeable in the psychological area, I figured I'd ask you for advice."

Scootaloo glanced at her cigarette before taking another puff, leaning her head against the tree trunk as she exhaled. Once more, she quickly scanned the area for a teacher or some kind of tattletale that'd pop up. Nothing; the closest she found was the Dumbbells off in the fields, chucking a rugby ball to Snips and Snails as well as a few others they didn't know.

"Vent out your frustrations. Find a way to vent out any anger or negative feelings you have. If you're pissed, go to the gym, punch a punching bag," Scootaloo said.

"I think that's what I did this morning, I dunno. I was just tired," the boy responded.

A brief silence followed before Scootaloo piped back up. "Well, ever try confronting the source of your anger and frustrations?" Spike rolled his eyes, looking away from Scootaloo as she continued with a chuckle. "Besides the obvious one; what about minor ones? Maybe you don't like how your mom handles things or maybe you dislike how a classmate continues being annoying or something. Resolving smaller issues before you take the big cheese. I'd say it's what I do but—" She tapped the cigarette against her knee as Spike glanced over. "Y'know, I've got my ways."

She took one more puff of smoke before discarding the rest of the cigarette, kicking dirt atop it with her heel. Exhaling, she briefly snorted which was followed by a stretch. Spike had to avert his eyes as he once more noticed something poking out of her shirt; evidence that she wasn't wearing a bra. Coughing once, Spike let out a deep breath.

"Just find a way to kick back until you manage to deal with your stress sources. Enjoy life until the day comes where you've gotta deck a bully, or deal with a problematic parental relationship or something," Scootaloo said.

Spike glanced back towards her just in time to see her adjusting her shirt and once more accidentally look down the rather-tight shirt. Groaning, he buried his face in his palms, adjusting his hair in the process. Yet temptation still caused him to peek through his fingers… only to see Scootaloo notice this.

"Ah, I saw that!" she shouted with glee.

"S-shut up, I was just checking," Spike spat out, turning his head away from her.

"Checkin' out th' goods, I know!" Scootaloo exclaimed, pulling on the neckline of her shirt and letting it snap for good measure. Spike groaned a bit as he watched presumably the entirety of the high school's jock culture occupying another field.

He heard shuffling behind him and knew that Scootaloo was coming up to him… yet nothing happened. Scootaloo didn't hug him, driving him to wonder why. Turning to face her, she didn't see a sultry gaze or even a smile.

"Spike, I really don't mind if you do anything. Or if you don't want to, I can be your girlfriend. We can work at it. I'll be honest with you. I can listen good. Just talk to me about all your problems," she said, sounding a bit shaky as if she would burst into tears.

Spike stared into her eyes, wondering what he should do. Part of him wanted to say no; save himself for Rarity. Part of him wanted to let himself wait for his chance… yet part of him also wanted this. It wanted release, to have a girlfriend; someone who'd immediately give herself to him. Provide easy, stress-free relief… to have sex. To kiss and hold and be his boyish self yet still have the perks of an active relationship. It was an eternal struggle between men and women; to hold onto temptation for true release. Part of him believed Scootaloo would be honest; part of him looked into her eyes and saw truth… yet part of him was scared because of how easily she opened up. Spike sighed, shaking his head as he did. He attempted to take the safe way out.

"Scootaloo, are you alright?" Spike asked.

Blinking, Scootaloo seemed taken aback before realizing that she was essentially pleading. Crinkling her nose, she leaned against the tree instead of Spike. Letting out a sigh, Scootaloo's voice took a different tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't need people worrying about me, so don't, alright? I'm fine. Really." She bit her lip, tilting her head in Spike's direction. "Thanks, though. But I'm fine. I was just wondering if you wanted to, since boys typically can't ask out girls properly."

Spike was relieved to see her smile again, even if it was small before chuckling, identifying with the similar feeling.

"I know what it's like, believe me," Spike said, giggling.

"Bet you haven't seen a real girl's tits, bro," Scootaloo said, punching Spike in the shoulder.

Once more, Spike gulped as the thoughts flashed through his head, particularly of Rarity. Gritting his teeth, he glanced to the right and spotted, for a brief second, Scootaloo's hands shooting up yet it was too late. Facing the girl, he was faced with her large, exposed breasts. Being Spike, he wound up staring for a few seconds before realizing what he was doing and turned his whole body away, covering his face as Scootaloo erupted with laughter.

"Oh my god, that was the greatest reaction ever! You were literally like a boy seeing his first pair of tits, all wide-eyed and shit," Scootaloo said, patting him on the back.

"Christ," Spike muttered, burying his face in his palms once more.

"Be proud, Dragon boy. You're the first person to ever see my chest," she said, giggling. Spike could feel her lean against him, her breasts pressing against his back. Spike felt his breath stop as his mind started reeling with images. Scootaloo's voice dropped several octaves into a seductive whisper. "You should take responsibility."

"OKAY, S-SO, how about the next football game?!" Spike shouted, his voice squeaking momentarily.

Scootaloo leaned back and Spike turned back to find, much to his relief, Scootaloo's shirt back down. He still couldn't unsee what just occurred and couldn't help but imagine her once more. He had to remember one thing, though.

_Not her. It's Scootaloo. She's just brash._

Gulping once, Spike sighed simultaneously with Scootaloo.

"Aha… sorry, I bet you didn't want my chest to be the first you saw," she said, patting Spike on the shoulder as he leaned against the tree trunk.

Instantly, Spike thought of Rarity, blushing at the suggestive image that popped into his head.

"_Come here, Spikey-wikey. I need some help removing my brassiere."_

Gulping, Spike felt confusion swelling up in his mind as thoughts of Scootaloo ran through his mind, appearing in the place of his usual fantasies of Rarity. The exception being while he typically imagined him and Rarity at some fancy restaurant, with Scootaloo, it quickly spiralled into something dirty. Gritting his teeth, he faced Scootaloo once more, wondering if it'd be something else again. He merely saw her hand atop her pelvis, her legs spread slightly as she tugged at the jeans.

"I know what you really wanted to see," she said, winking.

"I don't even care anymore," Spike said, rolling his eyes as he shrugged.

Scootaloo chuckled in response, Spike watching as she shifted into a normal position. She stared out at the field as Spike watched, grunting as she shifted against the root that protruded from the ground. Spike simply didn't care as he started to devour his lunch once more, hoping to finish it before lunch ended.

"Spike, are you, like, legit interested in someone?" Scootaloo asked.

Frowning for a moment, Spike contemplated telling her as he opened his mouth to take a bite of the sandwich. Spotting her stretch once more, Spike's eyes studied her figure as he pondered it, not even caring that she had her nipples protruding through the orange shirt.

"Yeah, I am." Spike frowned, his eyes closing for a moment as he brought the sandwich away from his mouth.

"Is it Rarity?" she asked, shrugging.

"W-what!?" Spike's eyes widened as he nervously glanced over to her. "What makes you say that!?"

Another shrug. "I 'unno. I just figured since you always seem to be the one she cheers for and talks about."

_What!?_ Spike's attention turned to the younger girl, Scootaloo raising an eyebrow at Spike's surprised response.

"Wait, you knew that, didn't you? She always talks about you, at least when I've seen her and she's with Twilight. They both talk about you and Rarity is, like, super worried about you," Scootaloo said, grinning as the more she talked, the more Spike's face seem to redden.

"I-I didn't know she was worried about me. I mean, I heard her cheering during the game," Spike said, setting his sandwich down atop the plastic bag. "Worried? Did you hear about what?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "She just talked about you and was trying to get Twilight to answer a 'why' question she had. Maybe 'why is he still a virgin'."

Scootaloo chuckled as Spike once more hid his face. After a few seconds, Spike reached down to his sandwich to spot it was no longer where it was. Turning towards her, Spike saw Scootaloo eating his sandwich, not even glancing over at him. Spike simply smiled, his whole body relaxing after a few seconds. Leaning back against the wood, he stretched his legs out and looked over at the building.

_She's worried about me… that means I'm not just a footnote,_ he thought, feeling his heartbeat speed up.

"You should talk to her. Or, talk more. Get her number if you don't have it. Maybe get her a gift," Scootaloo said.

"Hey, a gift… that's not a bad idea." Spike grinned, imagining what he'd get. "Maybe buy her—" Spike gulped. His accidental stalking from his earlier years made him realize he has practically _nothing_ to give her. The only thing that he could imagine would work would be jewellry… and he had no money for jewellry. Frowning, he let loose a long sigh once more. "I wouldn't know what to give her."

"Try a necklace. Hand-crafted, maybe go paint some glass or sand plastic into a shape. That girl has everything, might as well make something to be sure it's unique," Scootaloo said, finishing the sandwich.

Nodding his head, Spike took in a whiff of the air, grinning widely. "Yeah, that'd work. But I wouldn't know when to deliver it. I'd want it to be a special occasion."

Shrugging, Scootaloo helped herself to Spike's bag, pulling out a rice-marshmallow snack without permission. Spike was too distracted to notice.

"How about a birthday party? Isn't hers coming up?" she asked. "I mean, I heard Sweetie Belle talking about it."

_Hey… that's right. Sweetie Belle. What does she do these days? I could always ask her if there's something Rarity would want,_ Spike thought, scanning the grounds just to check if she was there.

"Well, I dunno. I'll just wait and see. Not much point pondering an event that may not be confirmed," he said, adjusting his spot as the root started to bug him now.

The leaves rustled a bit, snapping Spike out of a trance that quickly started upon looking out at the field. Turning to face Scootaloo, he had to stop to take in what seemed to be a genuine smile; perhaps Scootaloo silently wishing him luck or simply admiring him. Either way, she leaned over and wrapped an arm over his shoulder, hugging him once more.

"Well, in the meantime, you can totally give these babies a squeeze." Scootaloo yanked Spike, causing him to fall over; his face landing on her soft chest. "No biggie, free sample."

"If I do it, will you let me go?" Spike muffled out from his position, his body nervously shaking from the scene unfolding.

"Nah."

Scootaloo wrapped both arms around Spike's head, squeezing him into her chest as he uselessly struggled. The girl giggled as Spike's hands pressed against her chest, giving him somewhat of an advantage as that was where he could push most. He, eventually, wormed his way out of her grasp, panting heavily as he fixed his rather messy hair. Scootaloo merely giggled as she fixed her shirt, not hiding the two bumps poking through.

"I like you. We should totally date. I can brag to Rarity about snagging you first," Scootaloo grinned, munching on the rice snack she stole from Spike.

"H-hey, that was mine!" Spike protested, puckering his bottom lip in a feasible pout.

"You snooze, you lose," she responded, blowing a raspberry.

"You snooze, you get, uh, something bad," Spike said, growing ever quieter towards the end.

"If _you_ snooze, you'll wake up with me beside you," Scootaloo continued, munching on the snack.

"If you snooze next to me, I'll be in trouble because my parents and siblings would break my neck," Spike protested.

"Not after you've wrecked me," Scootaloo said, pulling off a rather cute seductive wink towards Spike.

"Whatever, keep the damn snack," Spike said, throwing his back at the tree trunk as he folded his arms.

"Haha, way ahead of you. Always am, Dragon boy," Scootaloo said, finishing off the snack.

Just as soon as she finished, the bell had rang, signalling the end of the lunch period. Yanking himself to his feet, Spike made sure to watch his head for the branch above him as he slung the bag over his arms, stretching briefly. Before he moved, he glanced down at his hands, remembering the soft, warm feeling he felt when he pressed his hands against Scootaloo.

"You wanna give them a good squeeze again?" Scootaloo's voice broke the silence.

Spike's head tilted up as he clenched his hands into fists, shuddering a moment before walking forward. Scootaloo let out several giggles as she stood up, following Spike into the building. Even after a lunch like that, Spike couldn't shake the odd feeling he maintained from before.

_After school, I'll go see Rarity,_ he mentally told himself as the duo walked into the school.

[*][*][*]

Spike had tried his best to find Rarity throughout the day and ask her if she was busy after school, but she was always in the middle of something and he did not want to interrupt. He searched for her again after the final bell, but she was no where to be found in the immediate vicinity. Still, he went around to her favourite spots in search of her.

He jumped as he felt his phone begin to vibrate in his pocket. Before he could decide whether or not to check it right away, it vibrated again in quick succession, like a call. He removed it from his pocket and brought it to his face. No one ever called him, he wasn't sure if he should answer. Phone calls were different than texts, it was much more like a real conversation and he would not be able to consider his replies before speaking them. Still, he would feel guilty if he ignored it, and the name on the caller identification was comfortably familiar.

"Hello?" he pressed the phone against his ear as he accepted the call.

"_Howdy, Spike,_" Applejack's voice echoed into his ear pleasantly, but it was followed by a much louder noise.

"_Hey! He answered?!_" Spike had to pull the phone away from his ear and wince as he heard the second girl's obnoxious shouting.

"_Yeah, 'course he—_" Applejack spoke to the other girl but was cut off by some rustling about and likely physical touching, considering what she said next. "_Rainbow, get offa me an' lemme talk!_"

"_I will grant you only one of those demands,_" Rainbow Dash's voice rang through the phone and Spike shook his head with a smile.

"_Anyway, Rainbow an' Ah were gonna—_" Applejack tried to get back on topic, but the louder girl would not let up.

"_Let me ask, let me! Applejack, give me that!_" Rainbow eagerly grabbed at the phone, from the sounds of it, but Applejack fought her off.

"_Back off y'vermin! Spike, y'still there?_" she argued valiantly and managed to hold the football captain at bay.

"Somehow," Spike murmured, falling into a casual stride as he continued to listen.

"_Sorry 'bout all that, just wond'rin' if you're busy at all tonight? 'round eight?_" Applejack asked kindly, the background noise getting quieter.

Spike wasn't sure if he should accept or not, he really didn't know what it was he would be accepting. It sounded friendly enough, but after spending time with Scootaloo he was unsure whether he should trust conventional friendship boundaries. Of course, he hesitated to think Applejack would ever cross that kind of line with him, and he certainly respected her too much to let his mind wander. And for that matter, Rainbow Dash seemed far too set on the farmer to deter for a little squirt like him.

But besides the potential uncertainty he felt regarding their motives, he was still awkward with somewhat private social gatherings. He was just getting used to being around friends, so it was unknown whether he would be good company. Noticing she was still waiting for a response, he decided to test the waters.

"Uh, no, I'm not busy. Why?" he asked, but grunted in surprise as he heard his phone make another beeping noise, signifying a call waiting.

"_Well_," Applejack was about to go on, but he stopped her.

"Oh, hold on, I'm getting another call." Spike forgot to check the identification before he swapped to the other line. "Hello?"

"_Yo Spike, are you in?!_" Rainbow Dash's voice yelled at him over the line and he nearly fumbled the phone and dropped it in his shock. After all, she was literally right there with Applejack, there was no need for her to call him.

"W-what? In for what?" he stammered out in wonder.

"_It's Dash, you little shit!_" As if he couldn't tell, "_Are you in for tonight?!_"

"I don't know, why?" Spike switched the phone to his other ear, though it felt awkward on that one.

"_Just fucking say yes, or I'll kick your ass!_" Rainbow snapped at him, but there was more rustling and muttering as Applejack got her hands on the girl.

"_Rainbow, get off th' phone!_" Applejack's voice could be heard through their struggles.

"_I'll get off the phone or your lap, choose wisely!_" Rainbow Dash said above their wrestling.

"Yes to what?" Spike wanted to know, keeping on topic.

"_To hanging out with us_!" both of their voices called out loudly over the phone, and again he had to pull it away from his ear.

Spike was not very good at letting people down, and even if he was, he wasn't sold on if that was what he wanted to do. Sure, the pair of them were loud and rough and goofy, but they were also his friends, and could be nice (well, Applejack anyway). Instead of relying on his usual indecision, he threw caution to the wind.

"Sure," his acceptance of the proposal still sounded uneasy. "What are we—?"

"_No time to explain! We'll grab you at eight!_" Rainbow Dash excitedly told him.

"But you didn't—!" Spike blinked as he realized she had hung up on him.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to sigh or laugh at the odd phone conversation, but he settled for just smiling and absently shaking his head as he put his phone back into his pocket. He let his hand linger in there and stretch at the seams, turning his attention back to the subject at hand: the whereabouts of Rarity.

Checking all her usual spots left him with no leads, and browsing the hallways had him coming up empty. This meant he had but one option left if he wanted to talk to her: he would have to go down to her boutique. Normally going over to a friend's house would seem like no big deal, for most people anyway, but Spike was less than comfortable showing up unannounced. Still, Rarity had told him that if anything ever bothered him, she would be willing to listen. Those words were what kept his feet moving in the direction of that same beautiful boutique.

After a few minutes, Spike relieved that Felix didn't decide to take this day to wander towards the mall, the boutique came into sight. It wasn't on the edge of town yet it was enough to be "out of the way". The decor and building itself certainly stuck out, however, being various shades of purple, pink and peach amidst the red brick and brown wooden buildings. Spike had asked why she chose such a location when he was younger and the only response he got was a lack of funds for an inner city location. The dead centre of Manehattan would surely have boosted the business.

Finding himself in front of the door, he once more went to knock on it. Same as last time, his hand stopped before he knocked and he found himself staring at the wood yet again. Sighing, he let his hand fall to his side and checked the time on his phone.

"3:34 PM," he muttered. Pocketing the phone, he began to ponder what he'd say. "Good afternoon, Rarity. Sorry for stopping by unannounced but there's something I wish to discuss about in an articulate conversation for the purpose of elaborating and expanding upon our mutual friendship."

Stopping, he gave himself a light slap on the forehead before glancing at the fancy patterns engraved on the door as a means to distract himself. Briefly, he ran his fingers through the fine wood, applying a bit of force to test it before speaking once more.

"Miss Rarity, I've been having a bit of issues and I figured I'd come to you. Maybe we'll discuss it right away or we can discuss it over lunch sometime, my treat." Spike paused, shaking his head with a groan. "No, she's busy. She has work, that's why Twilight tutors her… she's so busy."

Slouching forward, he pressed his head against the door, clenching his eyes as he struggled to figure out his words. As usual, his mind was blank while being full at the same time; nothing formed properly, no sentence yet a thousand images and descriptors of his deepest emotions ran through his conscience.

'_Love. She's beautiful. She's an amazing person. I think you're an amazing person and I love you with all my heart. I see the subtle movements you make, I can see when you're happy or pretending to be happy. I can see when you're holding back tears. I can see the smile you make when you're in love. I can see Rarity… I can see you, not some imaginary version of you that never gets sick or mad and is always beautiful and happy. I know there are cons to each person, nobody is perfect… and I'm fine with that. I love you, Rarity.'_

Yet he could never admit that. He wasn't someone she could love. He was a young boy with no clear future, not somebody she could rely on in a financial crisis or when needing a shoulder to cry on; he'd most likely be too shocked to even say 'hi' when she came by.

"Rarity, I wanna talk to you. Alrighty? You're a friend and I don't talk, so let's talk. Talking is a free action and even if it wasn't, I'd still give it to you for free," Spike said, feeling a small smile force itself upon his face.

An unnoticed giggle sounded in the background as Spike continued.

"Hey, sorry, I know we don't talk much, but I'd like to change that. Maybe become closer friends, or maybe just get to know the one who designed my jersey. Maybe pay for you and your crush to go to a movie. Maybe do some labour for you helping dresses and such. Y'know, good stuff," Spike said, straightening his back as he began to loosen up.

Grinning, Spike nodded his head as he felt confident that he'd know what to say upon knocking on the door. Unfortunately, his confidence vanished immediately.

"Spike, that sounds lovely and all but you don't have to do all that," Rarity's voice said from behind.

Spinning around, Spike saw Rarity's face and lost his balance, falling back against the door as he chuckled nervously, struggling to speak beyond a single word. Gulping once, he began.

"R-Rarity, hi. Nice weather we're having. House, yours, so I came here. Talk and such, with you. Kinda wanted to, y'know?" he stuttered, folding his arms and looking into the distance.

"Spike, don't be so surprised," Rarity giggled as she stepped forward. "It's not like you _have_ to make small talk with me."

Feeling his heart pounding, Spike watched as Rarity stepped forward, getting ever closer to him until she was merely a foot away and their eyes met. Spike's jaw hung slightly open while Rarity seemed surprised before letting out a chuckle.

"Spike, would you kindly move to the side for a moment? I have to unlock the front door," she said, holding up and jiggling a keychain in front of him.

The little metal ring shook back and forth, each movement studied by Spike as he realized a few seconds later what she had said. Face flushing red, he immediately shuffled to the side, nearly falling into a bush. Glancing over, he saw Rarity fumble a bit with the keys, muttering something about an old lock before it clicked. Retracting the key, she opened the door and stepped inside, removing a maroon scarf. Spike identified the maroon scarf as being one of the few proper Hearths Warming Eve gifts he got, with Twilight's help; yet he still insisted that it be in her name.

She removed her windbreaker as well revealing a form-fitting black turtleneck sweater. He once more had to fight the urge to stare at her chest, especially after earlier. moving his tongue through the dryness of his mouth, he dumbly stood outside, leaning against the doorframe while adjusting his backpack straps. Turning around, Rarity stared at him for a second before he got it this time.

"Ah, right, sorry," Spike said, his head dropping as he chuckled, stepping inside the boutique.

He didn't have a sweater to remove so he left his bag on the coatrack. Looking around the lobby of the boutique, he scanned several mannequins displaying one of her more mass-produced models. Although unique here, some of her designs were more cheaper ones made for mass production. They were noticeably different in quality and he knew both he and Rarity secretly despised them. His eyes were drawn to some more formal wear, presumably Christmas parties judging by the more winter-inspired design. She had gotten an early start and Spike smiled as he took in the elaborate look.

"My apologies, Spike, but it is a bit messy," she said, letting her bag strap slide off her shoulder as she proceeded into the kitchen.

"No worries, it's your place. Don't apologize to me," Spike said, waving it off.

He stayed in the centre of the lobby as Rarity was busy in the kitchen. His eyes glanced towards the stairs and they trailed up to the hallway which was where the home portion started in the boutique. He briefly wondered what it was like, briefly envying Twilight's many ventures up there during the sleepovers. He stopped thinking that, opting to imagine what Rarity was doing in the kitchen. His questions were answered as she immediately stepped out, carrying a tray with two cups and what looked like several graham crackers with cheese. Shrugging, Spike stepped forward.

"Would you like some help with that?" he asked, extending his arms forward.

"Well, sure," Rarity said, hesitating for a moment before handing it over to Spike.

Their eyes met and he did his best to give her a reassuring smile and walked towards a nearby table, setting the tray down. Without much prompt, Rarity pulled out one of the fancy chairs, elegantly setting herself down. Spike attempted to do the same, only to slide the chair forwards and get a horrible screech from the metal chair leg scraping against the ground. Both of them winced, eyes closed in response before opening. Rarity had a little smile on her face as Spike nervously looked, waiting for a response before the former's smile calmed him down.

"Spike, you are just so precious. It's also a little worrying," she said suddenly.

Spike shifted momentarily as he struggled to find words the more he looked at her. He frowned for a moment, staring into her eyes as she took a small sip from her cup. It was Maharaja Chai Oolong tea with three teaspoons of sugar and a bit of cream; two-thirds of a teaspoon swirled in the cup for forty-four to forty-eight seconds. Spike had recognized her usual routine for years and inadvertently copied her. As he was preparing his tea, he glanced down at the crackers briefly; marble cheese ordered from Canterlot.

"How so? I mean, I'm not that bad, am I?" he asked, placing his spoon on the tray before taking a sip.

"No no, nothing like that. I mean—" Rarity paused, scrunching her nose up in a brief moment of thought. Glancing down at her tea then back to Spike, she smiled. "Well, you have a tendency to go it alone. You're not very adept at fitting in, akin to Twilight when I had first met her. You were one of us at first but slowly, you drifted away as if you were finding your own group. Maybe other boys to play with, but you didn't. You'd sit alone at lunchtime, the very few times you stayed in the classrooms and other times you'd reject any invitations to events even if your face lit up quite a bit at first."

She stared at Spike, patiently waiting for an answer. Spike merely kept his gaze, his mind reeling with other thoughts. Rarity maintained her smile, doing her best to listen.

"Rarity, what would you do if you were being bothered?" Spike asked. "I mean, like, something was bothering you and you couldn't do anything no matter how much you tried; all attempts failing?"

Rarity's expression softened and Spike somehow knew what she was thinking. It clicked in both their minds and Rarity let Spike talk, the boy setting his cup down on the tray.

"Walking to and from school. Daily activity… constantly wondering if you'll be 'bothered' or not. Or going a day wondering if you'll get out there. Constantly fearing rejection even when your socially awkward sibling has succeeded more than you. Knowing you're twice as big as the one that 'bothers' you yet… you can never bring yourself to do anything about it… and anytime that you do, you still fail." Spike leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he faced the floor between his legs, just so he couldn't see Rarity's knowing face. "Always the underdog. Listening quietly, waiting until you're so far back that only a Hail Mary could save you from your little pit of depression. And I fear that it'll end with some broken bones, although whose broken bones, I don't know."

A pregnant silence occurred, broken only by some clock in the house chiming as well as Rarity sipping her tea. Spike took this moment to throw a few slices of cheese atop a few graham crackers, eating them quickly. As he finished, Spike cleared his mouth and faced Rarity. He gulped once, his heart beat doubling. Rarity's gaze drifted downwards and she spoke.

"Spike, how long?" she asked, slowly swirling her cup in her wrist.

"About seven years. Twi knows, and I'm sure Applejack knows too. Same with my brother… but not my parents. I forced them not to tell. I don't want them fighting my battles, especially since they thought I was making it up the one time I did tell them." Spike paused to eat another cracker, his voice lightening the more he spoke. "I don't know how obvious it is to you girls, but I know for sure you, Applejack and Twilight know." Eyes shifting up, Spike met Rarity's eyes once more, this time with an element of pleading in the boy's eyes. "How many people know?"

Rarity swallowed before standing up, holding a hand to her chin while folding her arms. A look of strong, forced focus was plastered on her pale skin and slowly, she walked towards Spike. Following suit, Spike stood up, predicting what it was Rarity was doing. Once more, her arms slid between his and wrapped around his body yet this time, Rarity squeezed Spike tightly against her. He let out a grunt before returning the hug, allowing him this one time to take in the feeling of her back. And although Scootaloo had bugged him earlier, he didn't think dirty of the two soft mounds pressing against his chest. They were warm, just like her arms and he resisted the urge to cry.

"I'm sure all of the girls except Rainbow know. It's… just something that has been there. I wasn't sure at first, I wondered if it had persisted… but I noticed seven years ago. I saw how you slowly drifted apart and I felt responsible. I'm sorry, Spike," she said softly, her voice vibrating against his chest.

"Don't be. It was my fault I never told anyone," Spike said, withholding his voice from being too loud.

"Spike—" Rarity purposefully let the silence hang as Spike started to wonder. Glancing down, Spike saw directly into Rarity's eyes as she hid the rest of her face in his thick shirt, her eyes just showing from under her bangs. "You don't have to hide it from anybody anymore. You never have to hide anything from me. We may have drifted apart, but I agree from your ramblings from earlier… I want to fix that. I want you to open up to me."

Spike's heartbeat increased once more as he felt emotions swelling up in his eyes. The past few days, he had been fighting it yet now he didn't care. He was going to open up for this girl that he loved… this girl that didn't know he loved her. His body slouched over and he buried his head into her neck, sobbing quietly as tears streamed down his face, wetting her neck. Her hands soothingly caressed his back as he let loose pent up feelings for once and just as quickly as it started, he found himself feeling far better. He waited, allowing himself to be comforted as his emotions naturally calmed themselves. He leaned back, quickly wiping away his eyes before focusing on Rarity, her hands on his hips and his at his sides.

"Sorry, I guess I'm not quite the man I thought I was," Spike said, chuckling as he sniffled.

"Spike, we're eating cheese and crackers. We're like little kids, alright? Don't worry about it," Rarity said, stepping back.

Quickly, they took their spots back and Spike let out a long, drawn out sigh as Rarity continued sipping her tea. Spike gulped his down and folded his hands on his lap, waiting.

"After all, you're far more real than any wannabe self-proclaimed 'gangsters' that offer to take me out, that must count for something," Rarity said with a wink.

"Well, thanks," Spike said with a grin, feeling himself unable to fight the smile. He paused afterwards, staring at her face. "Wait, what do you mean ta—" His words were caught in his throat by a gulp, Rarity idly sipping her tea with closed eyes and a subtle grin hidden behind her cup. Spike only smiled in response as he relaxed a lot more, glancing off to the side to see the sun starting its descent. "Kinda glad I didn't have practice today. I wouldn't have been able to do it properly."

"Can't have you getting injured while distracted. I'm glad you came to me of all people, Spike." Rarity seemed to have a grin plastered onto her face throughout the entire conversation, one that Spike noticed. "So, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like, Spike, but I must say that I may be a bit busy with my work."

Spike's ears twitched as he sat up straight, eyes widening. A large smile formed on his face that almost unsettled Rarity as she stared into his green eyes.

"Y-yes?"

"Rarity, I can help with work," Spike said eagerly.

"Oh, it's fine, Spike. I couldn't ask that of you—"

Spike cut her off immediately. "But you _didn't_ ask me, I offered. I'm totally fine with it, I swear!" Spike leaned forward even more, his face heating up as excitement washed throughout his body.

Rarity set the cup down and couldn't hold back a smile of her own at Spike's insistence. Nodding her head, she folded her hands and grinned at him.

"Okay. If you insist," she said, standing up.

Spike followed suit, his hands gripping the tray as he lifted it up. Just to reassure her, he smiled at Rarity as she sauntered towards the kitchen, Spike following her.

"Well, if I insist, I wonder what else I can insist," Spike said, his voice almost breaking as he attempted to be witty.

"You can _insist_ that I play favourites for little Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity's voice was ripe with glee, making her enunciation sound heavenly to him.

'_God, I love that pet name,_' Spike thought, giggling as he thought back to all the times she's called him that.

After that, Rarity had managed to put the both of them to work on several gowns that _were_ Hearts Warming dresses, just as he predicted. Rarity had attempted to instruct him on where several things were, only for Spike to seemingly automatically know. Each time she asked why, she got the same answer.

"Just a hunch."

Spike merely knew where would be most convenient for each fabric or material needed for a job like this as well as what fabrics there were on account of listening to her talk about the passion of dressmaking. Every time Rarity was unsure or felt like she was overworking the boy, she didn't say anything as every time she looked over to Spike, there was always a massive smile on his face when he thought she wasn't looking and a subtle grin when he knew she was. Rarity smiled back, thinking him such a little darling.

Before he could even hope to check his watch, for doing so would remind him of just how little time he had left or bring him back to reality, the evening had slipped between the still drapes and stretched across the carpeting. Not that Spike cared to notice, his eyes and hands were constantly busied with duties and chores he had long since imagined helping Rarity with. His ears, however, could not help but notice as the hours chimed on, though it was more melodic and pleasant than anything.

As he held the other end of a measuring tape along the full length of one of Rarity's works, he noticed the half-past chime ring once, a single elegant tune. Once Rarity had written the correct measurement, she instructed him to help her move the dressed mannequin over to the mirrors so that she could sew with adequate vision. Spike was very gentle with the false person in his arms, careful not to wrinkle the clothing or bruise the pale pretend skin.

_Honk!_

If the alarmingly loud honking did not force him to drop the mannequin, the vibrating of his cellphone is his pocket did. He fumbled the human-shaped object and managed to roughly get ahold of it before it hit the ground, though he stood awkwardly with one of its arms slung behind his head and a leg upright in his arm. As headlights flashed into the window, both he and Rarity turned and gaped at the source of the shock.

"Yo, we know you're in there, you little wankstain!" some obnoxiously brutish voice broke in through the thin panes of glass and slapped Spike in the face. "Quit fucking the seamstress and get the hell out here, you're late!"

"Is that Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked as if it wasn't clear enough, and she and Spike looked at each other in confusion.

"I don't think anyone could mistake that shouting," Spike realized his phone was still going off as he placed the mannequin down in the desired spot. He read that same familiar name across his caller ID and remembered at once the last conversation he had had on his phone. "Oh, right. What time is it?"

"8:34," Rarity told him as she peered over at the clock.

"I really _am_ late. Sorry Rarity, but I kind of told Rainbow Dash and Applejack that I would hang out with them tonight," Spike murmured as he dug his eyes into the bright screen in his hands, blushing with embarrassment at his sudden realization.

"To do what?" she innocently asked as she ripped a corner of her measurements page off and pressed it against the clipboard in her hands.

"I really don't know. They called me earlier, and between the shouting and what sounded like wrestling, I agreed to whatever they're kidnapping me for. I'm really sorry," Spike grumbled as he finished setting the mannequin down while the horn continued to blare on and off like they were arguing about it.

"It's quite alright, Spike, it is polite to honour prior engagements." Rarity smiled at his dedication, though it was groundless considering the girl he had promised it to, and finished scribbling something across the ripped corner of paper.

"Anytime now! Go ahead and keep me waiting, see what happens!" Rainbow's voice cracked as her octaves slipped about.

"Again, I'm so sorry, if you need me to stop by and help you out again, I'm more than willing," Spike told her with furious nods as his phone started to vibrate again and his fluster grew more apparent.

"You've done enough this evening, thank you very much for your help," Rarity led him to the door though his steps were faster.

"Rainbow's going to kill me," Spike muttered as he slipped his shoes on, though the backs were pressed by his heels and the tongues stuck out weirdly. He went to grab the doorknob.

"Don't forget this." Rarity held his backpack out to him, and his eyes widened with realization.

"Oh, sorry, again." He took it from her and managed a bashful smile. "And thank you very much for having me over, and the tea too."

"Don't worry about it, Spikey-Wikey," Rarity's smile almost stopped him from leaving altogether, but the constant honking and shouting kept him on his toes.

"I guess I'll see you later, tomorrow at school or something," he continued as he pried the door open and winced at the headlights scraping in. As he was about to take off, Rarity's hand fell on his.

"You forgot this, too," she giggled as she pulled his fingers open and placed the ripped, now folded piece of paper into his hand, closing it up afterwards.

"While I'm young and beautiful, please!" Rainbow's voice tugged at him to keep moving.

"Um, I did?" Spike winced as a horn blared out above the fighting of the girls in the vehicle. He had little other choice than to hurriedly shove the piece of paper into his pocket without looking at it, "Thanks again Rarity, for everything. Have a good night."

"Yes, you too," she waved him off with a pleasant smile as he ran over to the vehicle, realizing it was the same truck that picked him up when Applejack drove him home last.

"Sorry 'bout all that racket, Rare," Applejack apologized out the window with a nervous smile as Rainbow Dash climbed off of Applejack and sat down into her own seat. "You know how impatient she is."

"And now the whole shopping district knows." Rarity laughed lightly as Spike hopped into the back behind Rainbow Dash. "Have a good evening, you three."

"It's always a good time with me!" Rainbow Dash grinned out the window and gestured a false salute to Rarity as Applejack put the truck into gear and began pulling away, "Especially for Applejack!"

Spike settled into the back of the truck shyly and pulled the seatbelt over his body, trying twice before clicking it in right due to the falling darkness. He didn't say anything at first, afraid in case they were angry that he had forgotten the first set of social plans he had agreed to in as long as he could remember. Applejack's eyes flashed up at him in the rearview mirror, but he avoided them.

"Y'had us worried when we heard y'didn't come home," Applejack told him simply, her voice light.

"Yeah, but we figured as a teenage boy, your libido would be making the decisions," Rainbow Dash snickered as she hung her arm out the window and let the wind blow through her colourful hair, flicking it around and causing the brim of Applejack's cowboy hat to sway.

"Twilight said she saw y'lookin' for Rarity b'fore she took off," the farmer stated more realistically as she turned the truck down a wider street.

"Sorry," Spike merely muttered to his hands in his lap, which turned orange and yellow as passing streetlights leaked over them.

"Shove your 'sorry' up your ass," Rainbow Dash snorted as she kicked her feet up on the dashboard, something that bothered Applejack. "You're here now, right? You're only going to be sorry you weren't here sooner, kicking it with some awesome mother fuckers."

"D'you even hear yourself talkin' sometimes?" Applejack laughed at her choice of wording, which she found rather hilarious.

"Over your moaning? Barely." Rainbow slyly winked at her friend while she was distracted switching lanes and doing shoulder checks.

"Where are we going?" Spike peeped up as he noticed the familiarity of the route.

"Don't ruin the surprise, you turd, we're almost there." Rainbow Dash crossed one foot over the other, and Applejack frowned at the carelessness.

"Get y'feet down, this is Mac's truck, r'member? He ain't gonna be happy if Ah take it back with footprints on th' console." Applejack reached over and swatted at Rainbow's legs.

"Maybe he'll think we did _it_." Rainbow laughed, implying something less than innocent as she moved farther away so Applejack couldn't reach her.

It did not take much longer before they came upon a building Spike had subconsciously guessed was a potential destination. Applejack pulled around past a familiar parking lot and continued close around a building they all spent much time in. Spike leaned over to the other seat to get a better look, having rarely seen Manehattan Secondary School at night.

The truck came around the rear of the school and lurched to a stop behind the entrance to what Spike knew as the football field. He frowned in confusion as he wondered what they might be doing there, and looked around for some kind of security or something. Rainbow Dash kicked her door open suddenly and yanked Spike's open readily afterwards.

"Move your ass, kid, we're here." Rainbow barked at him as he fumbled to undo his seatbelt, feeling the brisker evening air slinking in through the now ajar door.

Rainbow Dash grabbed him by the collar and heaved him out of the truck, slamming the doors shut with violent swings of her arms. Spike fixed his shirt as Rainbow leaned back in through her still open window.

"You going to go park?" Rainbow asked as Applejack put the truck back into gear.

"Yea', go on ahead," she replied easily with a nod.

"Don't keep me waiting, babe." Rainbow slapped her palm on the truck twice and let her drive off. "And don't forget the goods!"

Spike furrowed his brow as he watched Applejack take off, choosing to park somewhere far away from the entrance. Rainbow glared down at him as she noticed him watching the truck. With a rough shove that directed him to start moving, she put herself between Spike and any view of the vehicle.

"Don't even think about it. She's mine," Rainbow spat protectively as she dragged Spike after her.

"I wasn't!" he argued honestly as he caught up to his own feet.

It was clear that this was not Rainbow's first time sneaking into the football field, as she knew exactly where to go and how to get past any security measures. They hopped a small barricade to get up to the stands, which were usually portioned off unless a faculty member was around to open it up. The rest of the field seemed open to the public, as there were trails that led around it and open edges of the fence on either far side.

Rainbow Dash jumped up onto the bleachers and balanced expertly as she walked along a seat to the middle, though it would have been easier to go the way Spike did and follow the wide aisle. Finding her way almost exactly to the middle, Rainbow strode seat-by-seat up until she was pleased with her view of the field. She plopped down at once and bent her arms up behind her head, leaning against the seat behind her as Spike made his way to her side.

Spike took the silent moment to observe his football captain, in all her careless glory. Unlike Scootaloo, she was somewhat more mature about the way she dressed, though not much more. In such a cool evening, he would have expected to clearly outline Scootaloo's perky nipples, but Rainbow Dash had opted to wear a bra, assumably, and a hoodie. Not that he was disappointed, he knew better than to even attempt to ogle Rainbow Dash. Not only would she have kicked his ass, but she was obviously not interested in his type, and her brash attitude did not inspire much sexual attention. Well, not from Spike.

"Are we allowed to be doing this?" Spike asked cautiously as he came up beside Rainbow and sat a good few feet away.

"In case you haven't noticed, bub, I'm not exactly shooting for role model of the year," she snickered as she crossed her ankles over the seat in front of her. "Besides, it was Applejack's idea."

"It was?" Spike was surprised to hear that Applejack was behind something like this.

"Yeah well, me and her do this now and then," Rainbow Dash explained fondly as she looked up, a smile gracing her features. "But today, she said that we should bring you along, you know, as long as you don't snitch or anything."

"No, I won't," he said certainly, shaking his head several times.

"Good, because I'd hate to have to shank you or put a hit out on you or something." Rainbow glanced over at him with a narrow gaze.

Somehow, she seemed even less concerned with her speech than Scootaloo was, just spouting whatever curse or or concept crossed her mind. But there was something very different about the two that Spike could not put his finger on. It was clear that the younger girl had modeled herself after Dash, but it almost seemed like she missed the mark. He hardly got more time to think about it, as Rainbow Dash sat up suddenly and this big, goofy smile melted over her lips.

"Ah, there's my girl," she mused expectantly, leaning closer to address the farmer who was just climbing up the bleachers now. Spike could see something in her hand, some large, square object, but he could not identify it. "You got the booze, AJ?"

"Booze?!" Spike gulped in anxiety and shock.

"'course Ah did, Ah'm th' responsible one, r'member?" Applejack confirmed as she neared them, though she chuckled a bit as she heard herself speak. "Guess Ah can't really say responsible when Ah bring a six pack to a sixteen-year-old boy, now can Ah?"

Applejack placed the cardboard box on the step below Spike and Rainbow Dash, before stepping over it and swinging into the vacant space between them. Spike stared at it with a mixture of uncertainty and anticipation, but he was not sure how to react to it. Rainbow Dash did not seem to have the same issue, as she greedily grabbed a bottle and slapped her pockets in search of a bottle opener.

"Um, I don't know what to say," Spike finally mumbled, his eyes glued to the foreign beverages, "I've never drank before."

"Oh, don't worry, we won't letcha drink much, just thought it'd be a nice treat," Applejack smiled pleasantly as she took one by the glass neck and lifted it out of the box, waiting for the bottle opener from Rainbow. "M'brother used t'give me one or two whenever w'had serious talks, made us seem like equals, y'know?"

"You think so?" Spike watched her carefully, looking for lies. Of course, if she had been lying, he would hardly have to observe her to figure it out.

Applejack nodded lightly as Rainbow handed her the bottle opener, and she easily flipped the lid off. She handed it to Spike, who wasn't sure the correct way to hold it. With a gentle sigh and a comforting voice, Applejack spoke directly to the younger boy.

"Lotta times Ah find th' world treats y'like a kid, even when y'ain't one," she told him, and it seemed very true to him.

This whole thing caught him entirely off guard, especially coming from Applejack, but before even taking a sip, Spike could feel warmth inside his chest. Perhaps there was much that he did not know about Applejack. After casually knocking her hat back into a more comfortable place, she calmly looped her arms over the seat behind her, each arm trailing behind the backs of both Rainbow and Spike. He brought the bottle to his lips and tasted the beverage, defining it as beer from the label. He assumed he was right as the liquid cooled his tongue, though he had nothing to base the flavour on.

"Enough talking AJ, crack open a cold one already!" Rainbow Dash violently grabbed a bottle and tried to force Applejack to take it.

"Ah'm drivin', don't tempt me," Applejack pushed it away with a grumble.

"Oh, I could tempt you a lot better than that," Rainbow licked her lips and scootched right up beside her best friend, their bodies meeting.

Applejack didn't bother moving her arm from around the girl, and instead opted to allow her advances. In fact, it almost seemed like she enjoyed the closeness. They were very good friends after all, Applejack surely enjoyed having her near for some reason or another. Spike watched over the nose of the bottle, which tipped slowly up as more went down his throat, while the usually bickering pair got cosy.

"Did I mention how awesome you are, AJ?" Rainbow cooed as she took great big gulps of the light golden liquid like it tasted of heaven.

"Once 'r twice, maybe," Applejack murmured as she watched her boisterous friend chug the beverage without moderation.

"Bottoms up, bitches!" Dash shouted as the bottle stood up vertically against her lips and emptied. As she completed it, a satisfied gasp escaped her lips, and she reached for another.

"Take it easy, sugarcube," the farmer warned her, though she allowed her to clumsily reach between her legs to snag another drink. With a huffed laugh, Applejack turned to the young boy on her other side. "Whadd'ya think, Spike?"

"It's, I don't know, tastey I guess," Spike tried to word it, swiveling it around in the bottle like he thought something was wrong with it.

"Y'ain't gotta be shy or nothin', you're gonna give it a shot eventually, might's well be with a couple'a friends," Applejack eased him into it, the strictness she often displayed in training seemingly absent.

Spike looked over at the girl with the same curious admiration or respect he always showed her, even if he was one of the only ones who did. She always seemed older than the other girls, very independant and kind, supportive and somehow intuitive. He may not have known her too well yet, but he was glad to have her as a friend. And she was so trusting, even of a young boy who had so many things rattling around in his head. His sister would snatch anything bad out of his hands and scold him, his brother might tease him, and others might judge or condemn, but it seemed Applejack just accepted him and let him be.

"Thanks, Applejack," Spike spoke softly, a smile crossing his lips.

Applejack was right, holding this beer in his hand did indeed make him feel like he was on equal ground with the girl. Here she was not a member of his sister's crowd, she was not his football superior, nor an upperclassman; here they were just friends.

"Don't mention it," that same old crooked smile hung from her freckled cheeks, and dimples defined the edges perfectly symmetrically.

Surprised by the carbonation twisting in his stomach, Spike accidentally let out a rather rude belch, slamming his hand over his mouth immediately. Applejack began laughing and weaved her fingers through his hair, messing it up with a few quick ruffles. Before he could stammer an apology, Rainbow Dash released a burp even louder than his own. A brief silence of Spike and Applejack turning to look at her followed, until all of them broke into laughs at once.

As the laughter faded, the three looked out over the football field, somewhere that seemed very different in the light of day than it did in the darkness. The lights were not glowing over it, conservation of power more important than lighting an empty stadium; besides the nights the grass was cut or the lines were painted. Still, there was something almost surreal and comforting about the silence and vacance of it. Spike swallowed another several sips, ignoring the odd flavour in favour of the effect he was eager to learn of.

Spike remembered then that Rainbow Dash had mentioned something about her and Applejack doing this same sort of thing sometimes. He felt kind of happy hearing that he was invited into some tradition of theirs, but he didn't really want to bring it up. Still, in the quiet and empty bleachers, he found himself wondering why is was they bothered going all the way out there at all. And all they were really doing was sitting there, not doing anything productive at all. Not like helping Rarity with her work or getting books for Twilight from the library and helping her research, this seemed too simple.

"So, what's the point of this, anyway?" Spike found it difficult to keep his thoughts in his head, possibly due to the substance he sipped at over and over, despite not being too particularly fond of it.

"To get drunk, dipshit," Rainbow said over the mouth of the bottle, not concerned about choking as she drank while insulting him.

"That ain't what he meant," Applejack murmured blankly, watching Rainbow shrug and give her the lead on this question. Leaning back against the bleachers and casting a glance over at Spike, Applejack answered him. "Not everythin's gotta have a point, y'know? Sometimes it's nice t'just sit with friends an' stare at a big empty space."

"I'm not sure whether that's philosophical or lame, but I guess I'll agree," Rainbow Dash suggested with a smirk. "To everything except the _friends_ part."

Applejack avoided Rainbow's gaze as her hands perused her body, one slipping over her thigh and the other tracing her spine. Despite the shiver that shook her, Applejack still didn't push her away. She did chuckle though, and fought off the creeping blush as Rainbow's lips neared her neck.

"Keep it in your pants," Applejack told her while she continued to force the laugh.

"I'd rather get in yours." Rainbow's voice fell into sultry murmurs again, and Applejack held back a whimper at the pleasant feeling she got from the attention.

Applejack kept her head turned away in fear of facing the indecision or playful temptation, and hoped the collar of her jacket was enough to keep Rainbow's advances at bay. Just as she was about to cross some imaginary line and touch her friend's neck with her lips, she suddenly stopped and traded the warmth of Applejack's skin for the mouth of a cold bottle. Applejack pursed her lips distantly, pretending she had anticipated nothing more.

Spike wouldn't admit it, but he liked to watch them fool around like that. It was comforting, the push and pull bickering and flirtation between them, and yet their friendship was so solid. It was something even he could rely on. Besides that, it sure was funny at times.

A six pack sure didn't seem like enough for Rainbow Dash at the rate she was drinking, but Spike sure didn't want to risk anything more. Though there really was no point in any of it, Spike found himself enjoying the company, and enjoying the simplicity of it. Another beer or two back for Rainbow Dash had her almost draped over Applejack, her hand resting over the farmer's leg like it was her own.

"Man, this is the life," Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and leaned back, tipping her head over Applejack's arm and leaning against her.

"Y'know, we'll be playin' right here in almost no time. Next game's just 'round th' corner," Applejack reminded them.

"You think we're ready?" Spike asked as he ran the last few sips over his tongue.

"If not, we're gettin' there fast." Applejack nodded with assurance.

Spike continued to stare out at the field, but Applejack's affirmation did little to soothe his worries. He really, really didn't want to lose again. It would just give Felix another reason to pick on him, and it would flush his self esteem down the can. Without thinking, he roughly placed the empty bottle back into the case and grabbed another, cracking it open with the bottle opener left by the rest of them. Applejack watched carefully as he forced several cold sips down his throat.

"Somethin' tells me that ain't the only thing on y'mind," she revealed slowly, her voice cool and calm.

"It's nothing," Spike said as if it was second nature to brush it off.

"That 'nothin' sure seems heavy, then," Applejack murmured in a breezy hush, letting the evening air take the syllables away.

"Don't worry about it," he took a drink to try and come up with some reasonable answer. "I just don't want to lose."

"Don't wanna lose, huh?" Applejack chuckled again, her modestly bundled-up yet sizable chest heaved up and down with each breath. "That sure sounds familiar, don' it Rainbow? Rainbow?"

Applejack and Spike both leaned forward to get a better look at the girl, Spike having to lean farther due to his greater distance from her, only to find her shift closer to Applejack, her head rolling onto the farmer's strong shoulder. Smiling gently, Applejack adjusted her body so that it was more comfortable for her friend, who nuzzled against her chest and got comfortable there.

"She's fast asleep already, huh?" Applejack chuckled lightly, careful not to wake the girl in her arms. Her eyes remained on the resting girl, whose usual volume and bravado was kept silent by her exhaustion. "Ah gotta admit it, she is kinda cute like that, ain't she?"

"Hah, I'm sure she'd love to hear that," Spike mentioned quietly as he realized how very human she looked just snuggling up to Applejack.

"You're prob'ly right," Applejack faintly nodded, her eyes softening further as the arm wrapped behind Rainbow came around her and rubbed her shoulder. "Not that she'd ever tell no one, but th' lil' scamp does work herself pretty darn hard."

"And here I thought she just lazed around and made sexual jokes about you," he prodded at her with a cheeky smile, brought on by the light haze of intoxication he had begun to feel.

"Sometimes people 're more than what'cha think," Applejack fondly brushed Rainbow's bangs out of her way, an adoring smile finding its way onto her expression. She leaned in closer, her voice so hushed it could never be heard outside of the three of them, "D'spite all those obnoxious habits o' hers, Ah do love the girl."

Spike blinked in surprise at the words, but more in bewildered shock as Applejack moved closer to her friend and pressed her lips against her. He leaned further forward to get a better look, and realized that she had kissed the sleeping girl right on her forehead. Somehow he was uncertain how to categorize the kiss, be it friendly or familial or more. He did not know enough about types of love to define them, and something like this caught him entirely off guard. Applejack lingered for a good few seconds before slowly pulling away, while Rainbow Dash slept on obliviously.

"Love, huh," Spike grumbled almost cynically, the word seeming false in some way.

He remembered the face of Rarity, who he got to spend most of the day with, and again his heart sped up to great thuds. He remembered then that she had handed him something on his way out, and began fumbling through his pockets to find it. Along with some lint and an old wrapper of something, he found the folded piece of paper, which had a few extra wrinkles from his clothing. As he opened it wider, his eyes too grew wide.

There, so elegantly scribed on the ripped piece of paper, was Rarity's phone number, all ten digits. Above it, she had signed her name, as if he could ever forget it. His face flushed, and not just from the alcohol, as he held the paper so delicately between his large fingers. Applejack peeked over his shoulder and read it, recognizing it right away as the real deal. With a simple smile, she let him revel in it for a moment before speaking.

"She don't give that t'just anyone, y'know," she teased, and that made it feel all the more valuable in his hands.

And yet, his eyes dropped, holding the number farther away from his face. This little, worthless corner of paper was so darn precious to him, and he knew he did not deserve it. What good was he to merit something like that, a lame, weak little boy who doesn't even have faith in himself? It did not seem right of the world to dangle things like that before his very eyes.

"Somethin' wrong, sugarcube?" Applejack's kind voice urged him to speak, but he chewed on his answer for a while.

"Why me? Why would she give this to me? I'm just some little kid, some half-baked wannabe," Spike almost whispered, his hands shaking. "Life is so cruel."

"Sounds like ain't no one as hard on you, as you," she guessed, but Spike did not feel the same.

"Yeah, right," he sarcastically scoffed, shoving the crumpled piece of paper back into his pocket.

Applejack just watched him again, his tone so low it almost hurt to hear. With a long sigh, she let the mood drop to solemn or contemplative. She knew well that there was something Spike was not saying, but she was not the type to force it out of him, she would not push him. Something in his behaviour was very familiar to her though, the anger and sense of futility or self-loathing. It was not something one could just punch or scream out, not something one could just talk though; not so easily anyway, and probably not with her.

"Y'seem a little down, Spike," Applejack began bluntly, not much for beating around the bush. "Ah ain't gonna ask about it or nothin', Ah jus' want you t'know that people notice, an' people care. Ah'm always 'round if y'need anythin', y'hear?"

"Alright," Spike didn't know what to say, he didn't really want to get into it. "Thanks anyway."

There was another pause of silence, and Applejack outlined the scenery in front of her with her gaze. It looked different when the overhead lights were on, for sure, but since they were not, the stars came out above it all.

"Well," Applejack cleared her throat and shuffled against Rainbow Dash. "This field o' ours, it sure is pretty, for a useless hunk'a land."

"Looks like any other," Spike shrugged, and Applejack frowned to hear him brushing her off.

Applejack removed her hand from behind Spike and again moved her hat, pulling it down a bit and fixing it to her skull. She began to stand suddenly, lifting Rainbow Dash carefully off her arm and laying her down on the bleacher. After adjusting the girl until she seemed comfortable, Applejack began to remove her jacket. Spike said nothing as she did, he just let her do whatever it was she was doing. Applejack laid her jacket over the sleeping Rainbow Dash and smoothed the wrinkles in it, making sure to cover most of her slim body. Again, her eyes shifted to Spike.

"C'mere," Applejack started down the bleachers at once, stepping down from seat to seat.

"What?" Spike gawked at her, holding his half finished beer by the neck.

"Jus' follow me, will ya?" Applejack turned back around and flashed him another genuine smile before reaching out and grabbing his hand, pulling him to his feet.

Swallowing as much of his beer as he could in such rushed seconds, he nearly dropped it onto his seat before taking her orders. Spike moved his numbing legs desperately to try and keep up with her as she strode down the seats, leading him down to the field. He wanted to ask her intentions, but he kept his mouth firmly shut all the while. Finally, she jumped over the small guard rail and landed on the grass, which had begun to salt with moisture from the damp evening air. Spike did the same, feeling the tingle in his feet as they hit the hard ground.

Continuing onto the field without hesitation, Applejack placed her hands on her hips and took a few good looks around her. Spike followed at a slower pace, his eyebrows dropping over his eyes suspiciously. Her body was something of a beacon when surrounded by this great, dark field, and he noticed then the defined hourglass shape she often hid with jackets or football gear.

She stopped suddenly in the middle of the field, and stared at the visitor's end zone. The scoreboard was but a dark square hanging out past the other bleachers, and was ominously silent for once instead of shouting about their failures. She moved the toe of her boot from side to side, pushing the grass and feeling it give way easily. Spike was beside her then, but he couldn't think of what to say.

"Look 'round you," Applejack started softly, "th' field sure seems bigger when you're in it, don' it?"

"Yeah," Spike understood that, either end zone seeming to lay at the extent of his vision besides the fencing.

"An' yet here we stand, right here on it, an' Ah bet somehow, y'ain't seein' it much clearer," she went on, and Spike was unsure of what she was trying to say. "When you're out here for a practice 'r a game, do y'notice the measure o' grass? Or for that matter, any few blades that ain't cut the same as th' others? Ah sure as sugar don't."

"The grass," Spike repeated as he looked down at his own feet, noticing the few blades that stuck out taller around his shoes.

"An' when this whole darn place is stuffed up, it's kinda hard t'see the end zone, ain't it?" she asked as she turned at her hip to look back at him. "Stands too, seem real far away right then. An' Ah betcha sometimes y'can't even see the players standin' next t'you."

Spike looked up at her, and he could see her rather clearly despite the lack of light. But she was right, even when the lights were on, during a game he hardly noticed where the other players were. He was focused on something else. Still though, he didn't quite get what she was going on about.

"What are you saying?" he asked carefully, his face remaining stoic and serious.

"Ah reckon Ah don't rightly know," she grinned sheepishly and forced a bit of a chuckle. "It just sure is hard t'see th' good things sometimes, though; the grass, the team, the end... the girl."

Applejack's gaze shifted back to Rainbow Dash, who still slept on obliviously in the bleachers, laying comfortably under Applejack's jacket. Her expression softened immediately as she caught sight of her best friend, who she had given her warmth for. Spike, whose hands had become somewhat chilly, realized that he had slipped them into his pockets. Inside, he was already thoughtlessly fingering the piece of paper that displayed Rarity's number. He clenched it up into his palm between the folds of fabric.

_Sometimes, it is hard to see those things. Especially when there are other things bigger or more aggressive in your way,_ Spike thought with a downcast expression, remembering how Scootaloo had kissed him and showed him things he had only before imagined on Rarity, remembering how Felix had riled him up and continued to captivate his thoughts even during football practice.

"That's all fine, though," Applejack went on with a shrug, snapping him out of his thoughts. "We're only human, we gotta blink sometimes, don't we?"

"I'm not sure I understand," Spike found himself confessing, tilting his head and desiring an explanation.

The farmer girl before him just stared at him for a moment, her eyes curious yet knowing. She broke into a pleasant grin, though it was crooked and lop-sided as usual, and shrugged again.

"Yea', me neither," she chuckled admittedly, turning back to face him as she began walking again. "Any who, Ah s'pose we should be gettin' y'home."

Applejack passed him in a casual step, letting him follow if he wanted to. She went back over to the bleachers and climbed up without trouble, knowing just where to grab and hoist. Spike had followed her, and she extended a hand to help him up after her. The field echoed with each step, Applejack's boots clacking against the seats as she hopped back up towards Rainbow Dash.

Turning the sleeping girl onto her back, Applejack laid her jacket over top of Rainbow more securely. The farmer's hands slipped under the crook of Rainbow's knees and beneath her neck, carefully lifting her up. She teetered a bit with the struggle, but stood up straight as her captain shifted in her arms. Applejack smiled as Rainbow rubbed against her, resting her head on the plush rounds of Applejack's chest in a much more innocent way than usual. Spike grabbed what little remained of the six pack and went after her.

It was difficult, but Applejack managed to get Rainbow Dash all the way back to the truck with little help from Spike. She got the younger boy to reach into her pocket to get the keys, which had made him very nervous and shy, though he did it with minimal fumbling and no inappropriate touching. He opened the passenger side and moved out of the way so Applejack could position Rainbow in the front seat while Spike climbed into the back. Applejack did up Rainbow's seat belt and placed her jacket over the girl's lap, dropping her seat back to help her relax.

Spike heard the piece of paper crinkle in his pocket as he jumped into the back seat, and pulled it out once more before even putting on his own seat belt. He could barely read the number until Applejack opened her own door, prompting the overhead light to flash again. It slowly burned out as she closed it behind her and put the keys into the ignition. Applejack wrapped her hand around the back of Rainbow's seat as she went to pull out of the spot, and glanced down once or twice while doing so to look at what Spike stared at intently.

"You're gonna lose that if y'ain't careful," she reminded him gently as she cranked the steering wheel. "Put it in y'phone already, she wants you t'have it."

Spike jerked at the request, and looked up at Applejack to find she had turned back around. He caught her peeking over at Rainbow Dash once and then, but didn't say anything about it. His thumb ran absently over the face of the paper again and again as if he could feel the numbers rather than see them. Again, the passing orange lights provided brief flashes of vision over his hands, and he let what Applejack said sink in.

_She wants me to have it_, Spike's thoughts echoed those words time and again until he found his resolve.

He pulled out his phone at once and began typing in the numbers as the lights passed over them, though by now he had all but memorized them. He wished his phone could keep the beautiful font in which she had laced her name, but he settled for typing it out like any other. A smile crept over his features as he stared at his phone now, and it seemed all the more useful in his hands at last.

Ten seconds was all it took for Spike's subconscious to take control of his body. He didn't register his fingers moving nor did he wanna stop it and he immediately felt his heart stop as he hit send, the anticipation already at a high.

'_Hey Rarity, it's Spike,'_ was what he wrote.

His breath hanging, he waited as his heart pounded several times, his eyes fixated on the screen even if it was mildly blinding in the darkened back seat of the truck. After a few seconds, it vibrated.

'_Hello, Spikey-wikey~'_


	8. Sweetie Belle's Number

"So, your next game is tomorrow night, right?" Twilight's voice seemed so chipper and cheery above the monotonous buzzing of the rest of the cafeteria.

Spike raised his head and looked at her, hardly having remembered she was there. He had been invited to have lunch with them again, but this time he had actually opted to accept. Especially since it had been a text from Rarity that had called him over. He glanced down at the elegant girl, sitting on the other side of the table from him and two seats over. Twilight sat across from him and Fluttershy slouched between the two. There was a space between himself and Applejack, as he thought it might be presumptuous to sit right next to her.

"Tha's right," Applejack nodded firmly as she placed her fork on her pasta. "An' with all th' trainin' your brother's been helpin' out with, Ah think we may be able t' pull it off."

"Where is Rainbow Dash, anyway? She's always right on your heels," Rarity asked after setting her napkin down.

"Ms. Cheerilee kept 'er after class f'some cheeky comment," Applejack chuckled lightly, shaking her head.

"What do you think, Spike? Are you ready for the game?" Twilight asked her little brother, tilting her head to gather his attention.

"Maybe," he responded distantly, chewing on his thoughts. "We are getting better, for sure, but I don't know anything about who we're up against."

"Th' Appleloosa Buffalo, that's their team," Applejack filled in the blank. "Ah got some family out that way, football sure is important t'that town. They ain't got much else goin' for 'em in th' off season."

"You're playing at the school field again, right?" Rarity asked, but since Applejack had her mouth full by then, she merely nodded, knowing how Rarity hated rude manners. "Then surely I can make an appearance, to cheer for my favourite tight end, yes?"

Spike's face went red as the words reached him, and he glanced over at her to find her supportive smile. He returned it, though he was so nervous it felt to him like it might have appeared somewhat creepy or unusual looking. Her presence would surely drive him on in the upcoming game, and he had to force himself not to start grinning like an idiot as he remembered her wonderful words from last time. This time, he would win it for her, and make her proud.

"Weird. Rainbow Dash isn't even here to make a _tight end_ joke," Pinkie Pie said as she sat down at the table on Twilight's other side, having caught the end of the conversation.

"We got one more practice b'fore the game," Applejack reminded them as her fork twirled around in the pasta. "Rainbow an' Ah have lots'a plays t'go over."

"Do you want me to hang around and give you a ride home after school, Spike?" Twilight asked, again putting the attention back on the younger boy.

"It's no big deal Twilight," Spike shrugged, not wanting to be a burden. "The walk is good for me, anyway."

"Well, I was going to study in the library for an hour or so for a test I have next week, but if you're sure," Twilight suggested, leaving the decision up to him.

Spike felt bad to hear that, for it made him even more uncertain whether he should take her up on the offer or not. it definitely sounded like she was trying to make an excuse to hang out late and give him a ride, so it would be rude to turn her down, and yet he did not want to inconvenience her. Maybe she just wanted to spend more time with him, after all, once he started football he was rarely home with her anymore. He buried his thoughts in a bite of bread, which he chewed until it became almost a paste in his mouth.

Applejack met Twilight's worried gaze and gave her a slight shrug, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. The others were mostly silent as the mood dropped, no one quite sure what to say. Several of them exchanged uncertain glances, and no one ventured a topic. No one, that is, except the one in the group who really didn't seem to understand mood ques.

"So Fluttershy tried to sell me drugs the other day," Pinkie Pie peeped up simply, shoving a chocolate roll all the way into her mouth.

"What?! I did not!" she argued desperately, her voice squealing.

"She did so!" Pinkie spat a few crumbs out, much to the dismay of most everyone. "I told her about my tummy troubles, and she handed me this bag of suspicious green leaves."

"It was l-lettuce," Fluttershy tried to tell her again. "Y-You're sick because you've been on a sweet-eating binge again."

"_Lettuce_," Pinkie Pie repeated narrow-eyed while miming air quotes, and the others rolled their eyes.

The others shook their heads and huffed a few laughs, getting back to their lunches. Fluttershy sank in her seat and pouted though, upset that Pinkie would think something like that about her. Spike realized how much he must have missed from hanging out in their group, everyone seemed to have changed in one way or another. Just as everyone got a little more accustomed to the unusual silence, it was broken.

"Guess who?" Hands slipped over Applejack's eyes, but the voice had already given it away if the childish gesture hadn't.

"Oh, Ah dunno, Principal Celestia?" Applejack teased with a smirk as she heard the girl behind her scoff irritably.

"Boo, AJ, you know who it is." Rainbow Dash pulled her hands off her friend's eyes and grabbed her tray off the nearly empty table beside them, where she had left it.

"O'course Ah do, now sit your rear down." Applejack patted the seat beside her and Rainbow Dash plopped right down where she was told, dropping her tray in front of her. Applejack glanced over at her choice of so-called lunch and frowned. "As Ah thought, nothin' balanced 'bout that. Here, eat this."

Rainbow Dash stopped the projectile fruit from hitting her in the face as Applejack had tossed it. She turned her hand over and held the bright red apple in her open palm, staring at it blankly. It had become something of a duty for Applejack to watch Rainbow's diet, knowing that an athlete needed a balanced appetite to perform best.

"I don't want it. My lunch is fine." Rainbow Dash was usually too proud to take the advice, of course. She went to tip her hand and let the apple roll out, but she was stopped.

"Rainbow, just eat the apple, okay?" Applejack placed her hand on the apple, holding it in her friend's grip.

Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded, knowing Applejack was stubborn about these things, "Mmm, fine. Only for you, AJ." And with that, she leaned over and pressed her lips against Applejack's cheek, administering a big, wet kiss.

Spike smiled and stifled a laugh as he remembered the kiss that Applejack had given Rainbow Dash not too long before. It was almost like a little secret between them, something Spike was not used to being in on. He could still see it in his mind's eye: it had been much sweeter, and much more honest than the goofy one Rainbow traded her. And yet, the big-headed jock really had no idea about any of it.

"Yuck, quit slobberin' on me," Applejack pushed her away and wiped her face, though little saliva actually lingered.

What did linger, however, was the pink tint that glowed in her face whether she liked it or not. Rainbow Dash was quite pleased with the reaction, and hummed as she took the first bite out of the plump, ripe apple. Though most of the group was already well used to their bickering, someone who said very little about it finally spoke up, albeit unintentionally.

"Just screw already, we're all waiting for it," Fluttershy murmured in a blank tone as she played around with her salad. Noticing that the attention had suddenly shifted to back her, she blushed brightly and swallowed, realizing what she had done. "D-Did I say that out loud?"

"See, Fluttershy's on my side!" Rainbow beamed as she wrapped her arm around Applejack again, who went darker in colour and bit her lips shut.

"Y'better not have got yourself detention after school," Applejack jumped back onto topic to distract herself from the idea.

"Who, me? No way, the team needs me at practice," Rainbow Dash grinned as she shook Applejack around a bit. She then noticed the boy who sat on her other side, and looked over at him. "Hey, look who decided to join us! I thought you'd be hanging around with that little brat would-be sister of mine, you stud."

"What?" Spike gulped as he realized she must have known something about that, but knowing she would not have hesitated to reveal all the dirty details if she knew them, he figured he was safe. "Um, no, not today."

"I thought you were all grown up and too good for us?" Rainbow stuck her tongue out teasingly and elbowed him. "Before we know it, Casanova here will be breaking hearts left right and centre!"

"No way, I'm still the same guy," Spike murmured argumentatively as he blocked her aggressive prods.

"Actually, over approximately ten years your body replaces all its former cells with brand new ones, making you physically an entirely different person than before," Twilight told the group matter-of-factly, only to be greeted with an abrupt silence.

"Way to slip a science lesson into lunch, egghead," Rainbow Dash was the first one to speak up with a sneer.

"Oh, sorry," Twilight apologized nicely as she forced a smile.

The group heard a stumble and shuffle from behind Spike as someone accidentally tripped over his backpack, which he leaned up against the seat behind him. With a low growl, whoever it was turned to face him and gripped his shoulder far too roughly. He leaned down and glared at Spike, who went still as he realized just who it was who had kicked his bag.

"Watch where you leave your shit, Iguana. Someone could get hurt," Felix said through his teeth as his eyes narrowed on the boy before darting between his friends.

He suddenly released the larger boy and took off, avoiding the rest of any confrontation. The girls at the table watched seriously as he walked away, his steps heavy and angry. Besides Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, the girls all seemed to grow more tense as they realized who he was.

"What did he just call you? Is he a friend of yours?" Pinkie asked lightly, cocking her head in confusion.

"Not exactly," Spike's head dropped as he slumped over the table.

Twilight had already recognized the boy herself, knowing him by name and everything. Not that she was the type to go ahead without Spike's permission and try to fight his battles, it was not her place. Rarity and Applejack watched the younger boy carefully, not certain if they should speak up when there were others around. Rainbow Dash, however, scoffed at the insult and decided to take it on.

"Iguana? You should take that as a compliment, iguana's have two penises," She revealed simply, and everyone's jaws dropped. Rainbow looked around at their expressions and shrugged. "What? Twilight's not the only one who knows cool facts."

Applejack cracked a smile as she noticed Spike lift off of the table, amused just the same by her ridiculous proclamation. Wrapping her arm tightly around her best friend, she wondered out loud.

"What on Earth am Ah gonna do with you?" Applejack asked with a chuckle, squeezing her captain closer.

"I can think of a few things," Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow suggestively, and immediately Applejack released her.

As the lunch bell rang, Spike hurriedly grabbed his things so that he would not have to hang around to discuss what had gone on. This was not the time or place, and besides, he needed to keep in a positive mood to take on the game the next day. He hardly remembered a thing between then and the final bell, which had now conditioned him to change into his football uniform like putting on a second skin.

As it was the last practice before their game, both Big Mac and Shining Armour had shown up. The whole team rushed to the field and stood before them, better organized into a straight line of players. Spike was eager to join them, finally beginning to feel valuable somewhere.

"Hey buddy," Shining Armour greeted his brother warmly as one of the first to arrive. "Ready for the game tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'm actually getting kind of excited about it," Spike admitted, rubbing his hair between his fingers.

"You should be, you've been doing great at practice; it's about time you get to show it off to a lady or two out there, am I right?" the older of the two teased, and Spike blushed nervously.

"Uh, sure," Spike tried to shrug the topic off, but his brother was no fool.

"You have someone in mind?" Shining Armour grinned, and Spike blushed brighter. "You do! What's she like? Is she pretty? Is she older? Do I know her?"

"What happened to being all professional about your position here?!" Spike hid his face and slapped his brother away anxiously, getting redder the more accurate his guesses became.

"You're right, there'll be time to chat later," he nodded as he noticed the other players falling around, and Spike getting more and more self conscious.

"Thanks," Spike sighed in relief as his brother let him off the hook.

"Alright, guys, you've been doing great these last few weeks," Shining Armour raised his voice and smiled at the team as they assembled. "Do a quick few warm ups then meet back to go over a few more plays. Sound good?"

"Yes sir!" The players nodded in unison before they went their separate ways, already knowing well what to do.

As some of the others finished up their training, Applejack jogged over to her brother with the clipboard of plays (and a few stray pick-up lines Rainbow managed to revive) that Rainbow Dash and she had been working on. His dull eyes trailed it over once or twice while Shining Armour praised a few players in the background. Applejack was about to leave to go toss a ball around with the guys while the rest of the team finished up, but Big Mac's words stopped her.

"Shinin's right," Big Mac nodded to his sister, who looked over at him instead of at the clipboard in her hand. "It's startin' t'look like we've got a team here."

"Course it does," Applejack smiled warmly as she put the clipboard down and stared out at the players, who were finishing up their circuits and training. "Havin' y'all 'round sure helps."

"Ah can't imagine what would'a happened if we left it t'Dash," his eyes dropped irritably on the girl in question, who had long since finished her agility training and went over to bother the linemen, from the looks of it.

"She may be lazy and perverse, but she really is a great girl. You'll see," Applejack told her brother with utmost certainty, pride beaming from her as she watched her friend talking to the linemen with passion and verve.

"You ain't gonna start tearin' up, are ya?" Big Mac smirked teasingly, noticing his sister tense up at the accusation.

"Shut up, Mac!" she shouted defensively and slapped him on the arm. As she settled back down, she looked out at her captain once more and started towards her. "Ah just mean that she ain't half bad, Ah'm proud t'call her m'best friend."

"Ah'll take your word for it." Mac huffed a laugh as they approached the team, where Rainbow's words could be clearly heard.

"I'm telling you!" Rainbow Dash continued with her hand over her chest, like she was preaching some truth she adored so greatly. "Applejack's moans are melodic, she could get me off without even touching me!"

"Most o'the time," Applejack murmured as she realized what the girl was going on about now. As they passed the equipment, Applejack instructed Mac to toss her something. "Al'right, grab me a ball, will you?"

Big mac leaned down and did as he was told, picking the finest ball from the bag. He heaved his great shoulders back and tossed it effortlessly out to his still retreating sister. Habitually, Applejack touched her tongue to the tips of her fingers and coated them in saliva as a means to provide a sticky grip for the football. The ball sailed into her hands, but she hardly moved as she heard the next line from Rainbow Dash.

"I love it when you lick your fingers, baby," Rainbow called to Applejack, her eyebrows jumping up and down suggestively as the boys around her snickered. "She does that in bed, too. It's pretty sexy."

"Rainbow," Applejack ground her teeth together irritably and murmured her name.

"And you should see the face she makes when she's horny or frustrated!" she kept on incessantly, not even noticing Applejack's temper rising quickly as the captain defied her earlier praise.

"Rainbow..." came out of her throat more deadly and vicious as she squeezed the football and glared at the girl.

"That's it!" Rainbow pointed at her excitedly as she slammed the football to the ground, leaving it to bounce about. "Man, that always gets me going. And when she gets especially horny, she can hardly keep her hands off of me!"

Applejack stormed right up to the disrespectful captain, seething with fury by now. Rainbow Dash continued to grin and brag, until a rough hand grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the group.

"C'mere, y'punk," Applejack growled as she tugged the thin girl after her.

"See? Case in point!" Rainbow guffawed, but it was cut short as she was smacked in the back of the head and ruthlessly pulled forward, her feet stumbling beneath her to keep up.

"Yeah right, nice knowing you, Crash!" Dumbbell and his friends laughed at her as she rubbed the sore spot on the back of her head and followed the clearly fuming Applejack.

Applejack growled as she dragged the protesting captain after her. Rainbow could see that something had pissed her off, but instead of apologizing or asking what was wrong, she thought it was kind of hot. Rainbow quickened her step and let Applejack hold her arm, slyly inspecting her all the while. Applejack pulled her into the hallway towards the change rooms, which was void of any other traffic.

"Finally, we're all alone," Rainbow's voice was smooth and sensual, and Applejack responded to it violently.

Shoving her captain roughly into the wall, Applejack gripped her by the jersey and leaned in real close with a firm glare. Rainbow Dash really wanted to say it, how turned on this whole thing made her, how wet she felt as Applejack pressed against her and held her still, but she decided to leave it be for now. She went silent as she let Applejack do the talking, though it took her a moment to get over her will to shout in favour of rational words.

"Why y'always gotta be s'darn sweet on me?!" came out suddenly, though it was not what Applejack really wanted to say.

"Because you're hot, and I like you," Applejack's mouth dropped wide open as Rainbow said that, and she was lost for words for a second. "Besides, you react really cute to it all."

"Listen here, you!" Applejack slammed her hand against the wall beside Rainbow. "Ain't nobody gonna take me seriously if you're always makin' them sexual jokes!" she barked, but noticing the way her target merely scratched her ear and pouted her lip, she became more irate and flustered. "A-Are y'even payin' attention?!"

"Your lips are too tempting to resist gawking at, so yeah, I am," Rainbow Dash spoke easily in a smooth voice, her eyes finally flashing up in all their electric allure. "But I think your protests have very little to do with what people think of you, and have a little more to do with what _you _think of you, am I right?"

"Beg pardon?" the farmer furrowed her brow as the girl against the wall stood up straighter and smiled at her. "You tryn'a say somethin'?"

"You're afraid to admit it, but I excite you, don't I?" Rainbow murmured teasingly, reaching up and placing her finger under Applejack's chin, drawing her nearer. Applejack's eyes jumped over her face as Rainbow's hand trailed down her neck, catching her breath still as she found her way to the farmer's chest. "I get your heart beating fast? Come on, you know it would be really, really good."

"A-Ah never said that," Applejack denied, despite the obvious heat in her cheeks and the likely noticeable pounding in her chest. She tensed her jaw and swallowed nervously, staring intently at her best friend who seemingly awaited a better response. "Rainbow Dash, it's not—"

Rainbow's suave smile broke open into a wide grin suddenly. "Got'cha."

"You," Applejack flinched to realize she had been duped, and her temper flared once more. "Y'little vixen!"

"You know it." Her captain winked at her and stuck her tongue out, and again the quarterback felt a tightness in her chest she wanted to pursue.

"Ah dare you t'do that again," Applejack's voice dropped lower as the challenge was issued.

Rainbow Dash was always a daring person, and too competitive to even let a joke of a challenge slip her by. So, even more obnoxiously than the first time, she stuck her tongue out between her and the farmer girl. But before she could pull it back in, Applejack snatched it up between her fingers, holding it there in the grip between her thumb and index finger. For once Rainbow Dash felt somewhat ridiculous, standing there between a wall and her best friend with her tongue hanging out, captured.

She noticed it then, the attentive, compelled expression plaguing Applejack's face. Her gorgeous green eyes were fixed on Rainbow's lips, and it pleased her greatly. However, her tongue was cramping up, and she was growing rather tired of the farmer's lack of action.

"Ahpplethack?" Rainbow Dash spoke against her friend's fingers, saying her name as best as she could muster.

"Oh, sorry." Applejack's eyes widened as she realized what she had been doing, and she instantly released her hold.

Rainbow Dash slapped her lips together once or twice as she tried to make her tongue feel comfortable in her mouth again. It was cooler than usual, from the air, but tingled and tickled constantly. With a knowing smile, Rainbow Dash pushed off the wall and got even closer to Applejack, who instinctively kept a precise inch or so back. Though their noses almost touched, it was their lips that Applejack was focused on.

"Don't be sorry," Rainbow Dash told her, touching Applejack's hot cheek temptingly before skilfully slipping around the distracted farmer and passing her, trailing her finger across her chin and turning her head after her. "Just don't stop next time."

"Don't stop what?" Applejack blinked obliviously as she watched her friend make a few steps of intentionally silent distance between them. Contorting her expression into confusion, she hurriedly followed after and asked again. "Don't stop _what_?!"

As Applejack just about caught up to her, Rainbow turned around abruptly and took her hand, yanking her another few steps faster. Applejack looked down at their clasped hands, feeling the heat in her fingers and the firm grip tugging her. The pair jogged back out onto the field, Rainbow Dash laughing all the while at Applejack's frustrated and uncertain expression. By the time they reached the rest of the team, they were gathered up on one side of the field by the bleachers, listening to Mac and Shining.

Pulling a mask of innocence over her head and adjusting it correctly, Rainbow Dash stood up straight beside Big Mac, still holding the girl's hand tightly in her own. Applejack clumsily managed to slip out of the hold and offered a sheepish smile to her brother, whose stoic expression merely watched silently. He knew Rainbow Dash was a rascal, but he trusted his sister to be able to handle herself.

"The first game since Mac and I started coaching is tomorrow," Shining Armour continued on anyway. "We've made a lot of progress over these last few weeks, and I know it's only going to get better from here."

Spike went still as his older brother's eyes fell on him, and he swallowed slowly. He greatly admired Shining Armour, and in his admiration he felt great shame, shame that he was nothing like the older boy. His fists balled up beside him, determination weaving through the cracks and wrinkles of his palms. If Shining Armour had faith in them, he needed to have faith in himself as well. Or else he would be nothing but more shameful.

"Everyone has already counted you out after what happened against the Wondercolts, no one thinks that you could possibly pull this off. But we know better." Shining Armour looked around at the faces of his players, who still seemed uncertain. "Tomorrow night, we're going to give them hell."

"Right," the team nodded firmly and expelled a loud affirmation.

"We've done great things on this field," Shining Armour stepped forward, the grass beneath his feet bending and bowing. "These end zones, they belong to you. These goal posts, they mark the edges of your training grounds; they mark the height of your achievements. These painted lines, measurements of progress; frosting the tips of the grass that grows right right alongside us. Don't forget that, this is your home. And tomorrow night, you defend it."

Looking down at the grass beneath his feet, Spike remembered what Applejack had told him when they had shown up at the field uninvited. Several blades stuck out or curled under his shoe at varying lengths, each seeming such a slightly different hue than the last. Those very subtle differences, they became difficult to see again as the night sky wormed between each frayed edge and the anticipated game became present.

Shining Armour's voice echoed faintly from practice the day before, this _was_ his home. His shadow loomed over the flora now, the lights from above such a stark and heavy brightness it nearly blinded him to look anywhere else but at that familiar ground.

The cheering was deafening, the stands much fuller this time than the last. But again, the visitor's crowd was larger than their own, having travelled all the way from Appleloosa. Spike slowly raised his head, seeing the many scattered red uniforms around him, each a player he resolved himself to notice. Casting a glance over at those stands he once had all to himself and shared only with two friends and a few beers, he could see _her_ there. Just as she promised, Rarity was watching him.

"Yo, kicker," Spike heard his position called. "Get over here and kick this fucking ball before I kick yours!"

No doubt it was Rainbow Dash who had called to him, and knowing best he nodded and followed his captain's orders. It was the first play of the game, and this time it was up to him to kick the ball and start it. More confident in his own ability after his brother's specific training, Spike broke into a sprint as he approached the line.

The cleated foot impacted the pigskin, launching it into the air. It was powerful yet the control still lacked. It sailed ahead far and the receiving team's speedy take off slowed down to accommodate the reach. Spike watched, his run slowing down significantly even though his team was still running full speed. His eyes were glued to the spinning football, his eyes wide.

'_No, no, no, please no,_' he thought, biting his lip.

His fears came true as he watched what happened. The curve of the ball had caused it to land just half a foot outside the boundaries. The whistle of the referee helped drive home the one fact that played in his mind.

'_I fucked up.'_

Drooping his head, he could hear Rainbow shouting at the top of her lungs random cuss words as her massive dash slowed and she furiously kicked the turf. Spike could hear the groans of his teammates and when glancing over, he couldn't even focus on _her_.

His eyes found Rarity but he could just see Felix a few rows behind her, laughing. What made it even worse was that Rarity was once again leaning as close as she could towards the field and Felix and his buddies were taking photos of her as well as a few others. He grit his teeth, not prepared for what happened next. A hand grabbed his jersey and yanked him over so he was faced with Rainbow Dash. The shorter girl was shouting, spitting as she chewed Spike out yet he didn't focus on them.

"What the hell was that!? After our supposed improvement, you go and fucked up our kick-off. I can't believe I actually thought you were good," Rainbow said bitterly, shoving Spike back as she released his jersey.

"Rainbow, stop that. You of all people should know that mistakes can be made," Applejack said as she faced the girl, glancing over to see Spike walking away with a slouch.

"So fucking what? If you make mistakes, you get punished, plain and simple. Now we're getting a penalty or some shit!" Rainbow stormed off, waiting for the opposing team to make their decisions.

The referee approached the captain as did Appleoosa's captain. Applejack kept at Rainbow's side for moral support and restraint if need be.

"Appleoosa's choice; will you take the ball where it is, take it 25-yards back, or let the Manticores rekick 5-yards further from their last one?" the referee asked, holding the football.

"Well shoot, we'll jus' take it where it went out," the lighter voice spoke, reminiscent of Applejack.

Said farmer stepped forward, her eyes widening as the voice clicked in her mind.

"Braeburn!?" she asked, trying to see through the boy's guard.

"Hey, cous'," he said, chipper voice booming as the referee handed him the ball.

Rainbow rolled her eyes, scoffing as she walked away from the would-be reunion. Applejack stepped forward and the two briefly shared a hug before separating, Braeburn walking backwards towards where his team was gathering.

"Heh, jus' so y'know, this don't mean we'll take it easy on ya," Applejack called, briefly cracking her knuckles.

"Ah hope that means ya won't be hittin' us with yer purses, then," Braeburn said with an audible chuckle.

With that, the two turned away and ran towards their gathering team with Rainbow already getting them riled up.

"Alright, Spike just now was an example of what not to do. Do the complete opposite and take 'em down as if you wanna break their shins, got it!?" Rainbow shouted, slapping two of the Dumbbells on the back as they ran by towards their line.

"Right!" several voices cried out.

Spike merely let out a rough sigh as he shook his head, stepping forward as well. Applejack was about to go console him but Rainbow Dash grabbed her sleeve, yanking the farmer over much to her chagrin.

"C'mon, babe, we've got bones to break," Rainbow said, grinning. "Except the one in my pants." Applejack rolled her eyes as she turned herself towards Rainbow, removing her hand from the jersey. "Which will be in yours later."

Applejack didn't fight it, laughing with the rainbow-haired girl as they approached the line, Spike following behind. Rather than dwell on it, Applejack trusted Spike to pick himself up later on; she had seen what he could do in their practises.

Spike, running towards their line, spotted his teammates on all sides of the field. Scootaloo, Pipsqueak, the Dumbbells… all of them weren't getting down on the kick, even if it wasn't them who did it. It was merely the first action of the game and certainly not the last. Realizing this, he glanced back towards the bleachers and this time, he could focus.

"It's only a failure if you don't pick yourself up!" Rarity shouted, jogging down the sidelines.

Grinning, Spike took his spot on the end of the line as the players bent over, setting themselves up to start. Someone from the Appleoosa line held the ball as Braeburn called out numbers; Spike only realized what they meant after dumbly asking Rainbow one time. The instant the hut was called, Spike started running backwards to keep the wide receiver covered. It was a larger, more lanky boy similar to Featherweight; said Featherweight is covering the other wide receiver while Rainbow was briefly struggling with the tight end, attempting to get through. As expected, the linemen on the Appleoosa team were struggling against Pipsqueak and the Dumbbells; not just because of the former's strength, but the techniques they had picked up on. Firmly rooted, their legs were acting as support beams, the enemy team merely pushing their cleats further into the ground… yet there was something missing.

They were slowly crumbling from what Spike could tell and he attempted to tackle the wide receiver, merely getting shoved back in response. While their offense was powerful, their defense was _severely_ lacking.

Pipsqueak, although rooted and strong, found a hand grab his sleeve and the player he was blocking yank him down. The Dumbbells fell the same time he did, the Appleoosans doing the same tactic. Their defensive wall broke and Rainbow was caught off guard; her attention having been taken away, the tight end she was covering roughly ran in front of her as she turned, a hand shoving her to the ground. Landing on her back with a thud, Rainbow briefly let the pain flash through her before she rolled onto her front and shoved herself to her feet. She saw a blur shoot by and dart down the field and Rainbow briefly felt her competitive instincts kick in.

Pushing herself to her feet, Rainbow kicked off, her legs darting off fast. From where she was, she blasted by Rarity whom was close enough to feel the air move. Her eyes focusing on the target running ahead, she saw the letters and recognized whom she was chasing

"You're dead, Strongheart!" Rainbow shouted, unable to fight a grin from reaching her face.

Rainbow heard a laugh in response and quickly, the distance closed between the two as they approached the Manticores' end zone. Leaping into the air, Rainbow threw her arms around, squeezing the girl whom matched Rainbow in size, taking her down. They hit the turf and Rainbow rolled, still holding the girl until they stopped. Standing up, Rainbow saw Strongheart's arms were still clenched to her chest… without a ball. She saw the grin on Little Strongheart's face and Rainbow glanced to the left, spotting another player running by with the ball in his arms. He crossed into the end zone before Rainbow could process what occurred and grit her teeth as the horn blared, six-points going up under the "VISITORS" spot on the board.

Scowling breifly, her attention turned down to the girl that panted, staring up at Rainbow. Smiling against her will, Rainbow extended a hand and Strongheart took it. Rather than justify her friendliness, Rainbow violently yanked the girl to her feet much to Strongheart's surprise. Turning away, Rainbow walked towards her line once more.

"I'd say the Manticores are dead, Dash," she shouted as she jogged by Rainbow.

"I'd say your virginity is dead, but that implies good things," Rainbow chortled, waving two middle fingers.

Strongheart let out numerous laughs as she returned to her line, the Buffalo preparing for the kick return. Rainbow's eyes turned to their kicker, Spike, as he ran back to their line in preparation. Rainbow watched his gaze, following it to see Rarity cheering him on before her eyes widened slightly. She snickered, her gaze returning to the enamoured Spike. With a shake of her head, she knew exactly what had got him motivated. It was like _that_.

Her urge to comment to Spike about the Appleoosan kicker faded, and she merely let him pass by as she briefly hid her grin until her back was turned. Spike took his spot and craned his neck, letting the words Rarity shouted just then sink in.

"_Make the uniform proud!"_

Adjusting his mouthguard, Spike stood his ground, glancing across to face the Buffalo player staring at him. He scowled at Spike before his expression softened, eyes focusing on Spike's.

"Woah, cool eyes, man," he said through the mouthguard.

Spike couldn't fight the smile as the Buffalo nodded his head, walking back to his team in preparation for the kickoff. Wasting no more time, the lines took their spots as the Buffalo prepared to kick. The referee blew the whistle and Spike darted forward along with several others as the Buffalo ran, their kicker launching the pigskin into the air. Spike knew who was going to try and catch it as did the rest of the team from the subtle signal Rainbow gave off. Running forward, he briefly glanced upward to see the ball fly overhead and as if telepathic, he could feel the excitement coming from the girl. Scootaloo shot ahead as the two lines collided and rather than go down, the Manticores' line practically shattered the other, causing them to crumble as the Appleoosan's now found themselves slightly overwhelmed. Spike ran forward, and collided with a cornerback, wrapping his arms around him before tossing the boy to the ground.

Having taken someone down for once, Spike twirled a bit to face ahead and started running once more to take down a safety. Unfortunately, it was too late as the second safety, Little Strongheart, took off after Scootaloo. Spike still lunged forward as the first safety was overwhelmed by the chaos occurring to her team and Spike ran headfirst into the boy. Tumbling down, Spike prayed that Scootaloo made it.

Darting ahead, Scootaloo groaned slightly as she felt pain plague her mind. The ball clutched tightly, she grit her teeth against the mouthguard as she approached the endzone. She winced and looked down at her chest, which felt like it was on fire. She cursed herself for not wearing a bra today of all days.

Scootaloo glanced behind her only to see one of the safety quickly catching up. While not faster than Rainbow Dash, Little Strongheart was still faster than Scootaloo. Panicking, Scootaloo attempted to ignore the pain, hoping for the movie cliche of a sudden burst of energy to enable her to take off. Instead, she felt a hand slide over her hip and latch onto her abdomen. The body armour slid slightly yet Scootaloo felt her speed come to a sudden halt and she clutched the ball as tightly as she could while gravity did its work. Slamming into the ground, Scootaloo rolled onto her back and glanced up as Little Strongheart stumbled by, almost falling over along with Scootaloo. Scootaloo watched Strongheart round back towards her and smiled as the referee's whistle went off. Extending a hand, Little Strongheart lifted Scootaloo up much to her confusion.

"Aren't you supposed to hate me?" Scootaloo asked, still clutching the ball.

"No, just the team in general. I can play favourites… plus I've got plans for 'motivating' Rainbow to provide a real challenge for once," Little Strongheart said as she glanced past Scootaloo, spotting the rainbow-haired girl in question as their eyes met across the field.

"Rainbow's gonna win, no doubt," Scootaloo said, turning and tossing the ball towards Dumbbell.

The awful throw sailed towards the left, hitting Pipsqueak in the head as the line approached where Scootaloo went down. After an apology, Scootaloo took her spot just between Pipsqueak and Spike as the players got set. Spike was faced with the boy who complimented his eyes as well as the boy he took down… or, Scootaloo was; Spike merely made him his personal target to let Scootaloo get by. Applejack was calling out plays, ones Spike could recognized. Eying the defense, Spike noticed a rather large boy, looking more like a 30-year-old man, stood amidst it all… and he looked similar to Pipsqueak in size.

The defense was different than the offense, Appleoosa having a big enough team to replace most players. Spike took in, finally, the size of the defense; all of the boys were far larger and all obviously of a different ethnic background compared to the relatively Caucasian offense. Each boy was pressing six and a half feet in height and were large, be it muscle or fat. Gulping briefly, Spike took his spot and prepared to cover Scootaloo.

Applejack shouted hut and the two lines collided. Scootaloo darted in one direction, avoiding her block and Spike lunged forward, latching the back of the boy's shirt as he yanked, allowing Scootaloo to get a good distance ahead… only for one of the other players, Braeburn, to blindside her. Scootaloo couldn't get a grunt out as she tumbled, rolling in the turf. Spike saw Braeburn turn towards him and he accidentally let the jersey of the boy he held go. He and Braeburn collided with the latter managing to catch Spike off guard, the two of them tumbling into the grass.

The linemen were having difficulty, the larger force of the Appleoosan's not allowing for an opening. Gritting her teeth, Applejack was pondering whether or not she should let Rainbow carry it off before the line fumbled; Pipsqueak once more felt himself being grabbed by the sleeve yet he was ready, his hand latching onto the wrist. Instead, the Appleoosan defense used his shorter stature, leaning forward and setting a hand on Pipsqueak's chest. Pushing up, the Buffalo lineman lifted Pipsqueak off the ground just enough for his cleats to lose their hold, and that was all it took.

Stumbling, Pipsqueak's heals caught the turf and he tumbled over, keeping his grip on the Appleoosan as they tumbled down. The Appleoosan defense boy's legs bumped into Dumbbell, distracting him enough for the rest of the line to crumble with Pipsqueak. Featherweight, unfortunately, got paired up with the largest of the Appleoosan defense and found himself being helplessly tossed aside and Applejack saw the boy darting towards her. Grunting and finding no opening, she opted to let Rainbow carry it off… but she was too far, and Apple Bloom couldn't get through. Scoffing, Applejack spiked the football into the ground.

"Incomplete pass!" the referee shouted, blowing his whistle.

The boy charging her slowed to a halt as the Buffalo climbed off the Manticores offense and the Buffalo praised the opposing team, much to their confusion. Applejack watched as the defense helped her team to standing and apologized profusely for any injury. Shaking her head and huffing a laugh, Applejack looked over to Braeburn as he waved at her. Picking up the ball, Applejack gave the field a once over before tossing it to Dumbbell as he stretched his limbs.

"A'ight, y'all, they ain't playin' t' crush us, but that doesn't mean we have t' let this get t' us. We know one thing; our defense isn't so hot and theirs is, meanin' we're at a disadvantage," Applejack said as the group were setting up their line again.

"Meaning, you guys gotta go for their necks," Rainbow shouted, cracking her back as she stood behind Applejack and Apple Bloom. "We're at war, pussies. Sack up and crack skulls."

"That ain't—" Applejack tried to speak again, but the rest of the team cut her off.

"Yes ma'am!" They loudly agreed and clapped, going back to their positions.

Applejack grumbled in the back of her throat as she watched the others taking off. Picking her target, she reached out and slipped one finger into the rear collar of Rainbow Dash's jersey, causing her to nearly choke herself as she kept walking. Whipping around with an irritable glare, Rainbow touched her hand to her tender throat and waited for Applejack's explanation.

"'scuse me, cap'in," Applejack started as she leaned down to reach Rainbow's height and stared blankly into her narrowed eyes. "But since when're we th' kinda team who plays t' kill?"

"Since that Little Strongheart bitch pissed me off," Rainbow argued sternly, not minding if the other team saw the feud. "Besides, their defence is as tight as your pussy, we have to be willing to step it up and take on the challenge."

"Y'ever stop t' think she's just tryna get t' you?" Applejack smiled as Rainbow Dash paused to consider it. "You're a darn fine halfback, sugarcube, start actin' like it. An' try not t' get carried away, will ya?"

"They're making us look like weaklings out there, AJ, I for one am not going to stand for that." Rainbow Dash pulled her quarterback to the line and lazily swung her own legs back to her place.

"That Dash girl has real potential," Little Strongheart said to Braeburn, who made a concerned expression.

"'tential for what?" he asked nervously, knowing what she probably meant by that.

"To actually give me a challenge," she replied with a grin. "All she needs is a little motivation, just keep pounding on their team like I told you. That outta get her fired up."

"Ah dunno, Strongheart, not everyone's as c'mpetative as y'are, y'gotta be careful not t' make enemies," Braeburn tried to tell her gently.

"Come on, cowboy," she roughly shoved him in the shoulder with a playful grin. "Don't you want to give your cousin a run for her money?"

"Jus' don't hurt anybody this time," he chuckled lightly and let the topic slip, getting back to his position.

Applejack peered over the backs of her linemen, almost jealous of the enemy's intimidating defence. She was about to open her mouth and begin calling the count, but she heard a familiar, flirtatious whistle from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Apple Bloom put her hands up defensively and innocently, pointing to the halfback instead. She was not surprised by the usual quirkiness of her captain, but turning her attention to the rainbow-headed girl, her irritation turned to a blank stare. There was Rainbow Dash, winking at her and making a subtle spanking motion just a few feet behind Applejack.

"Try distractin' th' _other_ team," Applejack muttered in a grouchy tone.

"I am!" Rainbow beamed and continued the degrading motion.

Looking back at the line, she noticed that menacing line of men all had their eyes on the thin, obnoxious girl. Applejack rolled her eyes at their lack of focus and proceeded to get on to calling the snap.

Rainbow Dash noticed the curious stare from Little Strongheart just past the line, who too was wondering what on Earth she was doing behind her quarterback. Rainbow Dash just kept at it as Applejack called the snap, and that gave Little Strongheart an idea.

"Hut," was called at last, and just like that, Rainbow Dash took off.

Without a moment of hesitation, the brash captain ran right towards the scrimmage line, heedless of the dangers. Applejack gaped at her actions in shock, hoping she was not about to throw herself in there. The eyes of the defensive line were still caught on her, and she used that to her advantage. Taking off in a powerful leap, Rainbow Dash used one of her teammates as a springboard, putting her hands on his shoulders and pushing off to gain the additional height.

The entire field gawked at her in disbelief as she soared right over the line, landing hard on the turf behind the defence. The crowd was nearly silent in awe as Rainbow Dash looked over at Little Strongheart from under her shining visor, a daring grin crossed her face. However, using her team to propel her had softened their line, and they had to push harder to try and keep upright. That didn't bother her of course, she knew Applejack could throw the ball before the line would crumble, and if she could keep Little Strongheart off the receivers it would be a clear shot.

"What th' heck was that?! Are y'freakin' crazy?!" Applejack's voice called after Rainbow Dash and caught her attention. It also, however, caught Little Strongheart's.

Sticking to her original plan, Little Strongheart took off towards the line at once, and Rainbow Dash immediately went to intercept her. Though surprised the safety did not choose to take off after the unguarded receivers, Rainbow Dash went after her anyway. She closed in to the safety, but just as she was about to get her hands on her, Little Strongheart ducked under the assault and evaded it entirely. Rainbow Dash fumed, but she hardly got the chance to try again, as the line fell apart in front of her and disrupted her.

As Little Strongheart closed in, Applejack caught sight of her before she could even get the chance to make the pass to the entirely open Featherweight. With her team tumbling towards her toes, she had no choice but to take the sack and move on. Little Strongheart was more than willing to oblige.

Applejack's ears rang loudly as her helmet hit the ground, and her back stung and went stiff due to the shock. She hissed as she felt the football press hard against her chest, winding her. By the time she managed to find her breath, Little Strongheart had gotten back to her feet and was looking down at her almost worriedly. She was shoved suddenly out of the way and had to stumble to keep herself upright, noticing the now furious Rainbow Dash approach the quarterback. With a victorious smirk, Little Strongheart jogged back to her line once more.

"Hey cous', y'okay?" Braeburns voice called over the sounds of groaning players getting to their feet.

Rainbow Dash leaned down and took Applejack by the arm, helping her up. From such close quarters, Applejack could easily see the frustration and regret that Rainbow hid behind a vengeful scowl. Applejack cleared her throat and groaned as she put her arm around her captain and met cleat to turf.

"Yea', don' worry 'bout it," Applejack waved over to him, though she could hardly face the boy.

"Sorry 'bout that, Strongheart tends t' get a mite c'mpetitive," Braeburn nervously forced a laugh and shot a glare to the girl in question.

"Ah know th' type," Applejack said quieter, peeling the football off her as she finally stood up straight. Trying to lighten the mood, Applejack looked down at her chest. "Heavens t' Betsy, Ah'munna have a bruise shaped like pigskin stitches."

"That fucking does it," Rainbow Dash glowered maniacally, her voice low. "Nobody touches my AJ."

"Rainbow," Applejack nearly whispered as her eyes softened on the clearly livid girl who still gripped her.

Rainbow Dash suddenly released Applejack and hung her head, heading back to her position for the next down. Spike was just gathering himself back up off the ground, but all the while his eyes were set on Applejack. He felt bad for her, just standing there all alone as Rainbow Dash got focused on the game rather than the way Applejack bent forward and bit back a wince. Applejack's eyes shifted to him suddenly, and for a second they just looked at each other. Subtly, Applejack handed the ball back to Dumbbell and lightly balled up her fist, tapping it against her other palm. Spike's eyes widened as he saw it, and immediately she turned back to the line without another movement.

Spike knew what that gesture meant, it meant she wanted him to catch. This was exactly what he had been training for, it was his moment to be the hero, and he did not want to let it go. But still, there was an uncertain feeling in his stomach, and his palms grew sweaty.

Applejack leaned back down behind the line and breathed slowly as her pain began to subside. She looked back at Rainbow Dash then, and said girl froze under the attention. She expected some kind of scorn, some stern talking to or something, but that did not come. With a warm smile, Applejack spoke quietly to her captain.

"Honey, take him up there, will ya?" she asked pleasantly, and as anticipated, both Rainbow Dash and Apple Bloom heard this, and knew exactly what she meant by it.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash nodded understandingly, feeling all fuzzy as Applejack's smile was crafted solely for her. "Anything you need, baby."

Rainbow cast a wink back at her quarterback, who chuckled to see her usual carefree nature return. Turning back to the game, Applejack brought her fingers to her lips and licked them lightly, blushing as she remembered Rainbow Dash's comment about it. Clearing her throat once more, she called for the snap.

She easily stopped the ball in her hands and backed up for the throw, waiting for her target while watching her own peripherals for another sack. As he heard the snap go out, Spike darted forwards, surprising the boy who had been covering him. Before said boy could man up and stop Spike, somebody else knocked him right to the ground with little effort. As Spike took off down the field, he looked back to see Apple Bloom prying herself off the boy, flashing Spike a thumbs-up.

As he peered back, he noticed Rainbow Dash following him up the side of the field. With the decrease in number of players to block for her, Applejack hardly had the time to let Spike take a good lead. Thus, her throw rocketed out of the mess of players and soared towards him right as the line fell apart around her. Spike had to hasten his step to catch up to the throw, but he managed to get under it just in time and snag it successfully.

The crowd roared as he tucked the ball under his arm, and the burst of motivation and adrenaline had his feet moving faster than he could feel. He noticed the girl gaining on him from the side and cast her a look or two, measuring the distance between them and the incredible speed she possessed, knowing he could not outrun her in time. Though the sound of running initially scared him, he realized that Rainbow Dash was still close behind him and she easily pulled ahead.

"Watch your feet, kid," Rainbow Dash told him as Little Strongheart came up against them.

Before Spike could ask her intentions, Rainbow Dash snatched Little Strongheart by the shoulders and easily shoved her out of the way, using her own speedy momentum against her. She was right to warn him, as using her forward momentum put the downed Strongheart right in Spike's path. Without thinking, he leapt clean over her body, landing clumsily on the other side before finding his step and taking it down the field.

Spike blinked in surprise at his own action but kept moving towards the end zone, only looking back to make certain Little Strongheart was not getting back up. Amazed at his own agility, which must have come from all that training, he kept going until his eager feet stepped across the final line.

He turned around to face him team, who were all celebrating and hooting about it. An astounded and open-mouthed smile crossed his lips despite his heavy breathing and the pounding in his chest. He pulled the ball out from under his arm and stared at it, in all its simple glory. Overwhelmed with a sense of victory, he thrust the ball up into the air and held it for all the crowd to see, whose cheering roared louder.

'_I did it, I actually did it_,' Spike thought as his smile melted wider under the glow of the overhead lights.

He glanced back out at the stands, and everyone's eyes were on him. He could see Twilight, Shining Armour, his parents, Felix (who looked less than enthusiastic), his friends, and _her_. Sharing the proud smile, Rarity stood up, clapping her hands for him. Everybody out there in the stands, everybody who stood with him on the field, they could all see him; for once in his life, they looked.

Rainbow Dash grinned to see Spike's victory march, which was much tamer than hers usually were. She snickered a bit as Little Strongheart rolled onto her front and got to her hands and knees, shaking her head about. Rainbow might have opted to help her up, but after seeing the hit she gave Applejack, she was less than inclined to do so. Besides, her rival was already getting herself back up and didn't need the help.

"There's a lot more where that came from," Rainbow Dash smugly smirked and turned away, leaving the girl with that.

And that was the truth. With such an early score, the Manticores began to feel like they were not entirely outmatched, that they could hold their own against these foes. Spike's kick was much better than his first one, and he got to pound fists with almost everyone on his team as another point was scored with it.

Despite their lack of particularly adequate defence, the Manticores managed to keep neck-and-neck with the Buffalo on the scoreboard. Braeburn and Applejack had their work cut out for them in trying to keep Little Strongheart and Rainbow Dash from killing each other, while Spike was exhausting himself keeping up with the linemen when they had to hold off the impressive enemy defence.

By the beginning of the third quarter, the Buffalo were in the lead with 20 to 14. After a short break for halftime, the teams were once again joining each other on the field. Spike was more than ready to get back out there, especially after having received glowing praise from his older brother on the sidelines. Even from the field, he could hear Pinkie Pie squealing in excitement and probably deafening the girls around her, one of which was his much more reserved sister and another, the girl of his dreams. He couldn't keep from looking out there to fuel up on confidence, which came from seeing their smiling and proud faces accompanying zealous waves.

Spike flinched as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see the warm smile of Applejack. He hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk to her as she was kept rather busy with Rainbow Dash, but her supportive looks seemed to usually be enough. He turned to face her, expecting some commands about plays or positions.

"Keep up th' good work, Spike, an' we might jus' win this one," she told him in a pleasant tone, something that came off as very different than the way she usually spoke on the field.

"Uh, right," Spike nodded firmly like it was a direct command, and Applejack merely laughed lightly at the prospect.

"We sure were lucky y'signed up this year," she went on, looking out at the other players. "Last year we didn't do s'darn dandy, didn't even have 'nough players t' qualify for th' tournament 'til it was too late."

"Really?" Spike asked curiously.

"Yea', RD scared 'em all away an' spent the rest o' the year writin' up plays an' makin' me toss footballs 'til m' arm went sour," she chuckled and patted Spike twice more. "Ah'll admit, this sure is more fun."

"I'm having a pretty good time," Spike agreed, sharing a smile of his own.

"Ah'm glad, an' it ain't over yet, s'keep givin' it your all, y'hear?" Applejack playfully shoved him and started walking off.

"Yes ma'am," Spike replied formally.

Spike watched her leave out of the corner of his eye, accepting the little chat as something of praise. It seemed so sudden to him, joining the football team, getting actually pretty good at the game, earning friends and now, confidence. He smiled to think of it, looking back over at the scoreboard.

"Heya, cous'!" Spike moved out of the way as Braeburn jogged past him to go over to Applejack.

"Oh, Braeburn, how y'all doin?" Applejack turned around and greeted him again.

"Well, it's lookin' pretty good from m' side o' the field," he grinned, nodding to the scoreboard.

"Don' you go gettin' all cocky on me too, Ah got 'nough'a that t' handle," Applejack gestured behind her at Rainbow Dash, who was talking to a few of the players sternly and having a drink.

"Ah sure hear ya, cous'," Braeburn sighed loudly, looking back at his own teammate, who seemed more than eager to get back to the carnage. "When Ah first joined th' team, Strongheart made m' race 'er 'round the track five times, an' even wrestled me t' th' ground."

"Yea'," Applejack chuckled and dropped her voice into a murmur that she wasn't sure she wanted Braeburn to hear. "When Ah joined, Dash wanted t' see just how good Ah was with m' hands, and tried t' put 'em down her pants."

"Pardon?" Braeburn furrowed his brow questioningly, and Applejack just nervously coughed and forced the subject away.

"Never you mind, y'best be gettin' back t' your side, else it ain't gonna be a challenge when we run another few touchdowns past ya," Applejack grinned and started back to her team.

"Now who's cocky?" Braeburn laughed and let her be.

It was the Buffalo's ball, and the Manticores set up for defence. Rainbow Dash stood at the far side of the line, casually cracking her neck and back like she was bored. In front of her, Little Strongheart took her place as tight end. Applejack watched the two carefully from her position as strong safety, moving a few steps closer in case Rainbow needed assistance. Even from the second farthest position from the line, the farthest being Scootaloo due to the speed and lack of size akin to being anywhere near the line, Applejack could hear her cousin calling numbers to distract from the snap.

The lines collided once more as Braeburn took the ball from his centre, holding it back for a throw. The Buffalo's fullback had taken to hitting the same side of the line as Rainbow, and with the added resistance, she had a hard time covering it. Her protective instincts setting in, Applejack quickly glanced at Scootaloo to be sure she was ready to take on the receivers, and finding her already eying one that closed in on her, Applejack went to Rainbow's aid.

Spike noticed the lack of support behind the line immediately, and over the shoulder of the tackle he noticed Featherweight struggle to guard the receiver on his side. The defensive end beside him pushed hard on the tackle and grit her teeth, casting a strained glare at Spike.

"Get gone, partner," it was Apple Bloom who spoke to him as she firmly held the man before her. "Ah'll hold."

Spike didn't even get the chance to nod as Featherweight lost control of the receiver, who took off. Turning on a dime, Spike went after the enemy as fast as his now more toned legs could carry him. Even over the sound of the whistling wind screeching between his helmet and his ears, Spike could hear _her_ cheering for him, and it drove him on.

He caught up easily to the receiver, who had not anticipated him to break after him. Scootaloo was just behind him, keeping a close distance and a careful eye on the rest of the line. As the enemy turned around to catch the toss, which Spike had been too distracted to even watch for, Spike glanced above and leapt off the ground. His height provided him with just enough advantage to tip the ball out of the receiver's hands, knocking it through the air. But before it twisted and tumbled to the ground, Scootaloo snatched it clean out of the arc and broke into a sprint in the opposite direction.

Spike hit the ground again and turned at once to knock the potential receiver flat onto their rear. By the time he turned around to look, Scootaloo was well on her way back to the line with the ball held tight in her arms. Squeezing the ball against her chest to lessen the pain she felt while running unprotected, she managed to increase her speed.

Apple Bloom glanced over her shoulder when she heard the cheering and caught sight of her childhood friend. The tackle she was holding made to shake her loose, but more than willing to protect her smaller friend, she threw both arms around him and tripped him over her leg. Scootaloo had no trouble avoiding the line since they were all otherwise occupied, but by then the Buffalo's quarterback, namely Braeburn, had noticed the approach and was on his way to intercept.

Noticing Braeburn's path easily, Apple Bloom took off to take him out and defend the much smaller girl just on her heels. Braeburn was surprised at her sudden attack, and tried to dodge out of the way, but could not escape Apple Bloom's iron grip once she got a hold on him. As Scootaloo skimmed their interchange, narrowly escaping the tackle, Apple Bloom dropped her cousin to the ground in one heavy, rough motion. The two fell together onto the turf with groans and thuds.

"Shoot, you're playin' too, little cous'?" Braeburn asked incredulously as he crawled out from under her. "When'd you get s'darn scary, Apple Bloom? Ah 'member when y'all had t' sit on AJ's shoulders t' reach th' soup stock."

"Ah ain't no little girl no more. First th' soup stock, then th' world!" she giggled as Scootaloo made it across the final line.

Another horn blew out as the touchdown was scored for the Manticores, and Scootaloo threw the ball lazily over her shoulder and gestured for the crowd to shout louder for her. The teams broke apart to celebrate or brood amongst themselves, while Scootaloo made her way back to the field goal line to wait for Spike's kick. As she came up to the rest of the team, she was greeted with hard slaps and compliments, which she gladly accepted.

"Looks like I'm not the only one you have to look out for!" Rainbow Dash shouted across the field to Little Strongheart, who glared a bit but ultimately looked more determined than upset about it. "Sweet rush, squirt, you're like a little me in the making."

"Thanks!" Scootaloo grinned as Rainbow Dash roughly knocked on her helmet, passing her on the way to her place.

"Nice catch," Spike smiled as he came up beside her, and she casually crossed her arms behind her head.

"I really am, aren't I?" Scootaloo winked through her visor and made a playful face, causing Spike to chortle a bit before he was up to kick.

Another successful kick put the Manticores in the lead with 21 to 20. By now, Spike had begun to feel invincible, having scored three kicks and a touchdown to himself.

The Buffalo hardly got a chance to hold the ball at all, as after a quick four downs they had not even come close to making it ten yards. Pipsqueak had much to do with that, almost single-handedly holding the line so that the outside linebackers could focus their attention elsewhere. Besides, the last snatched pass that turned into a touchdown had dissuaded Braeburn from going for long throws for a while.

Most of the third quarter was distinguished by the ball constantly switching hands and making it most of the way down either end of the field before swapping back. There were few penalties and fewer attempts to punt the ball to relinquish control, all in all, it was a safely-played quarter. As the fourth rolled around and the game remained neck in neck, the teams were getting antsy. Needless to say, that did not sit well with players like Rainbow Dash.

A quick huddle marked the beginning of the Manticore's possession of the ball, and Applejack peered over the heads of her team mates to size up the enemies. While she was distracted, Rainbow Dash slipped right up beside her and began talking to the players herself.

"Alright bitches, we've still just got one, single damn point on these fuckers, that is not good enough for me," she spat aggressively. "If we want to blow them out of the freaking kiddy pool, we gotta bring out the big guns."

"Don't even think 'bout mentionin' somethin' 'bout th' one in your pants," Applejack muttered absently as she got back into the huddle.

"Seems like you're thinking about it enough for the both of us," A grin crept across Rainbow's face. "'kay, where's mini Dash?" Rainbow looked around for Scootaloo, trying to think up a better name for the kid, "Half Dash? Oh, what's that thingy called…? Hymen?"

"Hyphen," Applejack hurriedly corrected her.

"Whatever, like there's a difference," Rainbow brushed it off even when Applejack covered her face in embarrassment for her oblivious best friend. "Anyway, squirt, you think you can play receiver?"

"I already play receiver," Scootaloo responded promptly, just as completely obliviously.

"No, I said _play_ receiver, as in pretend, as in make believe, as in, you know, that play we practised?" Rainbow tried to make gestures so she might understand, but Scootaloo nodded over and over like it might have gotten through to her.

"Oh, right! Yeah, I remember!" Scootaloo agreed eagerly while bouncing up and down, but Rainbow Dash shushed her.

"Jeez, so much for a poker face," Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Just do it like we practised and don't let on that anything's amiss. We'll screw those pussies in one down. Speaking of which..." She turned with a suggestive smirk towards Applejack.

"Dream on." Applejack pushed her away dully, knowing exactly where she was going with that, as the huddle broke and the players returned to the line. "Heya, Dash?"

"Giving my offer a second thought?" Rainbow Dash asked breezily.

"Y'think this play'a yours'll work?" Applejack wondered as she glanced over at the shorter girl.

"Course baby, I wouldn't let you down," Rainbow patted Applejack on the lower back as she let her go up ahead. "And you never answered me about that second thought!"

Applejack shook her head with a laugh as she got to the line and set up behind the centre, leaving Rainbow Dash hanging. Scootaloo breathed a long and heavy breath as she readied herself for a good performance, teetering her weight from one foot to the other. Thee field got quiet once again, but over the buzzing crowd, Applejack called for the snap.

The ball hit her hands and she hardly hesitated to fall into her familiar passing stance. Applejack leaned back, holding her throwing arm behind her head and aiming the throw towards her now sprinting receiver, Scootaloo. Braeburn caught sight of her setting up and immediately took off after the small girl, knowing he would need a good start to catch up to her. Little Strongheart saw this out of the corner of her eye and quickly glanced at the Manticore's quarterback, catching the same tell as Braeburn. Knowing she was much faster than the boy, Little Strongheart went after, noticing the lead Scootaloo was gaining.

Applejack readied to throw as she saw Scootaloo's advantage. However, at the last second, she pulled her arm farther back and dropped the ball: right into Rainbow Dash's expectant hands. Taking off like a bullet, Rainbow Dash rushed around the opposite side of the line from where Scootaloo had taken the attention. Kicking up some grass from the turf with the power of her cleats, she rounded the line and charged down the field almost completely unopposed.

Checking the skies above her for the supposed incoming projectile, Scootaloo proceeded to turn her body like she was anticipating a catch. Little Strongheart was right on her tail, and Braeburn was not too far behind, though losing ground. He checked over his shoulder to try and see the ball, but noticed too late that the air was free of any pass. His eyes darted around to try and find what happened, squinting to see the line still holding tight. He froze stiff as wind raced past him, blowing his jersey and hair about from under his helmet. Slowly, he turned around with an incredulous stare, flabbergasted at the sheer speed that the runningback had passed him with.

Little Strongheart grew uncertain as the pass never came in, and as she was about to turn and look for it, Scootaloo nearly stopped dead in her tracks. Catching the safety off guard, she proceeded to close the distance entirely and latch her arms around Little Strongheart. However, Little Strongheart was no pushover, and managed to wriggle out of the hold. Hearing the fast, pounding footsteps approaching her, Little Strongheart immediately set her sights on Rainbow Dash.

The two rivals hit breakneck speeds as the distance between them and the end zone neared, but since Little Strongheart was already ahead of Rainbow Dash, it seemed nearly impossible to get past her. But Rainbow Dash was never the type to give up or back down, so just as daring as ever, she sprinted right for the end zone regardless of the obstacle. Little Strongheart fell into step at the same yard line as Rainbow and pushed herself to make it before they reached the end.

With a hopeful leap, Little Strongheart got her hands around Rainbow Dash and tried to push her down. Rainbow slammed her foot into the hard ground to keep herself upright and managed another few steps before she was thrown down in a tumbling mess. She kept the ball inside both of her arms, even as her body hit the ground and her helmet fell off in the tackle. Little Strongheart, using so much force, fell to the grass in the opposite direction of Rainbow Dash, their rolling bodies gaping distance between them.

Vaguely hearing a loud horn blow, Rainbow Dash rolled her head to the side and noticed the end zone several yards away from her, and slammed her eyes shut in disappointment and frustration. Feeling the grass in her hair, Rainbow Dash glared dully at the stupid sky above her, angry at everything. As she pulled herself up, she looked around for her helmet. She saw it several feet away, in the opposite direction of the line marking the end zone. As she groaned and got herself to her feet, she noticed that beyond that was the goal post, and the fence.

She wasn't several yards _away_ from the end zone, she was several yards _past_ it.

The cheering crowd finally hit her, and she looked over to see them all waving their hands and holding up her colours. She glanced up at the scoreboard just in time to see the 'HOME' score flip over, providing the Manticores with a greater lead. Feeling pride swelling up inside her, she bit back a loud laugh and a beaming grin.

Rainbow bent down and scooped her helmet up off the turf with a swing of her arm, letting her freed hair blow about as she stood up to her usual humble height. Before she got a chance to put the protective equipment back on, Applejack came right on up to her with a great big smile. Though her breath was shallow after the short jog, she spoke to her rainbow-headed captain admiringly.

"You're amazin'," Applejack said in a heavy breath as she shook her head back and forth.

"Damn right I am," Rainbow Dash flipped her hair out of her face, but was caught off guard as Applejack came even closer and her smile spread into a wide grin.

"Oh, Ah could jus' kiss you right now," Applejack took hold of Rainbow Dash by the shoulders and squeezed, her bright and excited eyes darting between the captain's.

"I'm not stopping you," Rainbow eagerly stepped closer and mixed the crimsons of their uniforms, her daring eyes flashing up at the freckled girl.

Applejack's mouth hung barely open as she tried to think up some excuse or retort, but nothing came. Rainbow Dash waited patiently, for once, as her friend nervously forced a laugh and avoided eye contact. Still pleased by the captain's play, Applejack decided not to just shove her off for once. She wrapped her hand behind Rainbow's head, feeling the cool wind in her hair, and pulled her forward. Her helmet tapped Rainbow's forehead lightly above the visor just once before Applejack released her, and a couple playful nudges were exchanged.

"You're off the hook, for now." Rainbow Dash winked at the farmer and blew her a kiss. "But I won't let you go so easy next time."

"Ah like it better _hard_, any who," Applejack muttered with a smirk, while Rainbow grinned, nodded and shook her finger approvingly.

"See? You're just as perverted as me, only you hide it well," Rainbow walked backwards as Applejack followed her, but as she neared, Rainbow got an idea and reached out. Feeding the tips of her fingers into the bars of the mask, she pulled the farmer close again. "I just have to dig a little bit _deeper_."

Rainbow's voice was an alluring hush as she leaned in. Applejack's wide eyes focused on the fingers mere inches from her face, the index and middle fingers specifically, as Rainbow spread them apart on the bars into something reminiscent of a 'V' shape. With a tauntingly slow move, she dragged her tongue between her fingers, slipping it into the wide space between the protective bars of Applejack's mask. The lick left thin, invisible lines of saliva along her own fingers, and left Applejack completely dumbstruck.

She grinned deviously as she released the gripping hold she had on her friend and turned off, going back to the rest of the team and leaving the quarterback standing utterly still with shock. Swallowing the odd curiosity that arose within her, Applejack shook the incessant imagery out of her head and jogged back to her place.

It would not have mattered if Spike had missed the last kick, though he didn't, considering the Buffalo could not get close enough to imagine another touchdown until the clock ran right out. While their defence was intimidating, the Buffalos' offence was manageable, and their morale had dropped enough to be completely overcome by the Manticore's newfound confidence.

The score settled at 28-20 in the Manticore's favour, sealing their first victory into the books. Expectedly, the group ran together, hugging each other for their first victory. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and landed practically on top of the huddle, unable to control the grin on her face as she let out a holler, celebrating their victory. Spike didn't partake in the group hug, idly walking towards the sidelines. The attention was enough for him and he looked over to go see his friends and _her_. Pinkie Pie was frantically tugging at the back of her shirt while pointing right behind Spike. Raising an eyebrow, Spike slowly turned, only to feel a hand grab the back of his jersey and yank him back.

"Hey, asshole, you're one of the reasons we won today. Get in the fuckin' group hug, bub," Rainbow shouted, giving him a hard enough tug that he stumbled back only for Rainbow to wrap an arm around his head as she dragged him back.

"Wowie, Dashie sure is brash and mean and rough but at least Spikey's getting involved," Pinkie said, giggling.

Twilight rolled her eyes, holding a video recorder as she caught Spike on film. She had gotten the entire game and, with persuasion from Rarity, focused mostly on Spike. Rarity resisted the urge to go out onto the field to congratulate Spike, her eyes on him most of the game. Instead, she stood there, smiling as he revelled in his victory.

"I thought he was just joining for the sake of joining. I didn't know our boy was this good," Spike and Twilight's mother said.

"Wait, you didn't believe me?" Shining asked.

"It's not that, but Spike has always been a bit—" Their father paused, drawing the attention of the others in the group. Twilight knew what he was implying as did the rest yet their father never said anything. "Disinterested in spots," Twilight's father finished, attempting to keep face.

"Yeah, I understand, dad," Twilight said, making sure her thumb was over the camera mic. Looking down at the screen, it was still facing a smiling Spike and whatever sadness she felt was replaced with happiness. Smiling as well, she looked up to see him look naturally a part of the group. "But he's changing for the better, so don't get left behind thinking about who he was."

On the field, the hug finally dissolved and Spike strode to the sidelines, keeping an eye out for _her_. As he left the field, he stopped to scan the bleachers, having forgotten where Rarity was in the heat of the moment. A gentle tug on his sleeve caused him to turn to the right, only for his heart to stop.

"Congratulations, Spikey-wikey," Rarity said, stepping forward and giving him a hug. "I knew you had it in you."

Spike was still facing down at where Rarity was and his arms robotically moved before wrapping around Rarity. His face heated up and once more, he allowed himself to sniff the perfume she wore as he closed his eyes, enjoying the brief moment.

"Angel Liqueur de Parfum, if I'm not mistaken," Spike said, recognizing the pricey perfume Rarity had put on.

"W-what? Oh my, how did you guess that?" Rarity asked, leaning back and stared up at Spike.

"Just a hunch," Spike responded as his hug loosened and the two parted, only their hands resting on the other.

He let his mouthguard fall out, dangling from the face mask as he loosened the strap before removing it entirely, setting it on the Manticores' bench. He faced Rarity once more as the rest of his friends pooled onto the sidelines, the team just preparing for the handshakes. A quick glance up, he saw his parents smiling along with Shining Armour and, to his amusement, Felix attempting to toss an empty can into a nearby trashbin only for it to bounce off and have residue liquids hit his eye. Looking back to Rarity, she removed her hands from his sides and their eyes met. Spike took a gulp, eyes unable to focus on anyone else… so it came as a huge surprise to him yet again when their team captain yanked him out onto the field, Spike's cleats catching the ground causing him to skip rather than slide against the grass.

"Fuck later, we've gotta go rub in our victory," Rainbow shouted as Spike was haplessly tossed into the lineup.

"We ain't rubbin' in nothin', Rainbow," Applejack chastised, lightly scowling over her shoulder at Rainbow.

"I'll be rubbing _something_ into my face later, babe," Rainbow retorted, grinning as she stepped closer to Applejack, her hands motioning towards the farmer's rear.

Unfortunately for the captain, Apple Bloom stepped between Rainbow and Applejack obliviously, Scootaloo right behind her. Grunting, Rainbow folded her arms and growled lightly.

"Stupid kids, cockblocking Rainbow Dash," she muttered, averting her eyes from Applejack's grinning face.

Spike started walking, Pipsqueak right behind him acting as the back of the line. Glancing up, he saw the Buffalo taking their loss well, smiling and complementing the Manticores. Of course, Rainbow wasn't conventionally complimenting them as she fist-bumped each member.

"Close but you can't handle me. Sorry, you're the ones that challenged Rainbow Dash. Maybe next time, Buffabros." Rainbow merely got an eyeroll from Applejack as they finished the handshakes.

Spike was initially nervous yet confident after their victory, aided by his efforts. He was even more surprised to hear genuine praise from his enemy. For once in his life, he was hearing a plethora of compliments swarming in and they weren't forced like ones you'd hear from a teacher or counsellor.

"Great game out there."

"Nice tackle back then."

"Woah, wicked eyes, bro."

"I fucking love Dragons."

Spike couldn't even respond as he felt himself at a loss for words, grinning uncontrollably as he high-fived the last of the Buffalo. Even after they were done, Rainbow and Little Strongheart still had words to say; Spike ignored it entirely in favour of what would most likely be a more civil chat between Applejack and Braeburn.

"That was pretty fun, cous'," Braeburn said. "If it wasn't f' that fluke your tight end had an' yer captain, we would have had this in th' end."

"Believe me when Ah say we almost lost it halfway in there," Applejack said, patting her cousin on the shoulder.

They both turned along with Spike as a shout got their attention.

"Bullshit, there is no alternate scenario, no universe where you would have beaten us, Strongheart!" Rainbow shouted, being held back easily by Pipsqueak.

"There is where I beat your stupid face in, Dash!" the running back for the Appleoosan Buffalo shouted.

Little Strongheart was held back easily by what one could call the Appleoosan equivalent to Pipsqueak. Both larger boys looked away from the scene, embarrassed as each running back threw off their helmets, swatting at each other.

"Well, Ah should prob'ly break this up b'fore we wind up disqualified… 'gain," Applejack said, glancing down as she hid her reddening face.

"True that, cousin," Braeburn said, chuckling.

With that, the two cousins shared a hug yet again, congratulating each other on the hard-fought game before they waltzed off to stop what would be a brutal double homicide from occurring. Spike shook his head, grinning as he walked back to the Manticores bench, fetching his helmet as he sauntered off, holding his head high as he started walking towards the showers to clean himself off.

Light footsteps sounded behind him; high heels clacking against the pavement. Spike recognized the sound of that anywhere and spun around to see Rarity following him with a small grin on her face.

"Rarity, aren't you gonna stay with the others?" Spike asked, feeling his heartbeat quicken once more.

"And let you run off all by your lonesome? Puh-leeze, Spikey, you forget who I am," she said, slowly approaching Spike. "You don't have to go to the showers right now. Stay and bask in the glory. You well-earned it."

Spike shrugged, turning away as he faced the ground, finding a crack to gaze at. "It's not about glory for me. I just don't wanna be a loser anymore… and you and my other friends graduate this year so I'll be alone."

Rarity approached him and gently placed her hand on his cheek, making Spike's eyes meet her own. She had a stern face and lightly patted his cheek, causing him to blink once.

"You will never be alone, Spikey-wikey," Rarity spoke softly, her thumb gently caressing his cheek. "And even when we leave, you'll have the friends you made now." She glanced down briefly. "And even when we leave—" Once more, she looked up and her blue eyes locked onto Spike's. "You'll have me. I'll always be here."

Spike's heartbeat was threatening to jump out of his chest once again and after riding a wave of confidence, his right hand leaned up and he let his fingers softly press against the back of her head, soliciting a shiver from Rarity as her eyes briefly closed, opening half-lidded. Gently, Spike pulled Rarity's head closer as he leaned forward. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to fantasize briefly for one moment what it'd feel like as well as a chance to wonder if that moment was truly happening.

As their lips met, all of his fantasies faded from existence, not even coming close to how it felt. His heartbeat seemed to stop and his mind went blank as his lips pressed against red softness. The scent of _her_ perfume was clear to his nose; the taste of _her_ lips was clear to his mouth. _She_ stepped forward, arching her back so she could be as close to him while still being able to kiss and he dropped his helmet, letting it roll onto the grass as his now-free hand wrapped around her waist, holding onto her tightly.

After several seconds, he parted briefly and she simply stared up at Spike's face, cheeks flushed and panting lightly. Spike's eyes widened as he realized what happened yet he was too frozen to move from his position. Rarity giggled as she stared in wonder.

"You do have impressive eyes… I'd say you aren't an iguana. You're a dragon," Rarity said, giggling as she continued to caress his cheek.

Spike gulped as he stepped back and continued to stare at her, smiling as he realized what just occurred.

"Thi-this isn't just because I'm a star, is it!?" Spike asked, giggling as he rejected the thought immediately.

"This is because of a promise made by a sweet little boy years ago that always promised to protect me no matter what," Rarity whispered softly.

"You… remembered that!?" Spike asked, amazed.

"_And stay out!" the boy shouted, his voice cracking as he sniffled back a bit of snot and blood, eyes watering. He turned to face the girl as she laid on the ground, crying and holding her wrist. "Are yo-you okay?" the boy asked, sniffling._

"_M-my w-wrist h-h-hurts," she cried, rubbing the red area._

"_I sh-should have ran faster. Those bullies are morons," the boy said, helping the girl to his feet._

"_I-it's o-okay, m-my wrist i-is only s-swollen," the girl said, sniffling yet again._

_She glanced up to face the boy and seemed amazed by how he looked. Her sniffling and crying stopped as she said "woah."_

"_W-what is it?" the boy asked._

"_Your e-eyes are… cool, and y-you're bl-bleeding but you aren't c-crying," she said, her focus on her wrist vanishing._

"_I c-can't cry, I'm a boy." Glancing over to where the three boys ran off, Spike briefly turned back to the girl and sniffled once before attempting to smile. "They won't bother you again, and if they do, I will protect you."_

"_W-why?"_

"_I have special eyes. I'm an iguana or something and you noticed them unlike the others," the boy said, grinning as he felt proud in his childish line._

"_Iguana? What's that? I thought you were a cat or dragon or something," the girl said, tilting her head._

"_Dragon… I like the sound of that."_

"I always remembered that… and that's why I want to be there for you now." Rarity leaned in closer, planting a kiss on Spike's cheek causing the boy to shiver. "Because you were there for me."

Spike's lips trembled as he smiled once more. "I always looked for you, and I always felt the urge to continue when I saw you cheering for me." This time, he planted a kiss on her forehead. Pulling back, their eyes met again. "Haha, I just… this is like so many fantasies and wishes coming true, it's almost surreal like a dream."

"Please don't say something cliche like this is nothing like your fantasies," Rarity said, giggling as she gently ran her hands up and down Spike's back.

"I don't think I have any fantasies anymore." Spike let out a laugh, his heartbeat calming down slowly. "Thank you for cheering me on. It really helped."

"Don't thank me, Spikey-wikey. It was all you in the end. You just needed a little motivation, that's all."

Spike's eyes were glued to her lips, and her eyes, and her hair as she spoke. He had memorized each curve, each curl, each lipstick colour she wore and the type of makeup she applied. He had learned, through years of watching, what she had worn and yet… all that he knew was gone from his head as if this was his first time meeting the girl he loved. As if he was meeting and seeing the beauty for the first time and Spike simply giggled in response.

"I'll thank you this one time, alright?" he asked.

"Deal," was all she said.

Once more, their lips met and Spike felt like it was their first kiss yet again. First contact, first time smelling her perfume, first time holding her, first time seeing her face… he almost didn't want to let go but incoming voices broke their kiss as they separated, standing several feet from each other and looking surprised towards the other.

"Hey, stop pushing, I think they heard us," Rainbow's voice said.

"Goddammit, Rainbow, ya can't just leave anythin' alone, can ya?" Applejack's voice practically shouted as the duo stepped out from under the bleachers, completely shadowed.

"Well, Rarity, thanks for the tips and, uh, example of how to pretend you're kissing," Spike spat out, feeling his face growing red.

"Spikey, there really is no hiding it," she said, averting her eyes as one hand rubbed her other arm, Rarity biting her bottom lip.

"Wowie, I thought you two would _never_ get together," Rainbow said, jumping forward and wrapping both arms around Spike and Rarity's heads. "It only took you about 600 years."

"Agh, not the hair! Rainbow Dash, release me!" Rarity squeaked, frantically clawing at Rainbow's gloved hand.

"Don't worry, Rares, I'll give you the $6.43 I have on me. That should be good enough for a manicure, right!?" Rainbow asked, releasing Spike's head to give the fashionista a noogie.

"Nooo, Rainbow Dash, stoooop!" Rarity wailed.

"Ah wouldn't blame her if she killed ya, RD," Applejack said, helping Rarity to pry Rainbow's grip from the fashionista.

"My beautiful hair," Rarity cried as she examined the tangled knots Rainbow created.

Spike could only watch, feeling embarrassed for the girl as Applejack practically choked Rainbow, dragging the team captain to the showers. Stepping forward, Spike gently wrapped his fingers around Rarity's wrists and her eyes locked on his.

"You look beautiful even with a ragged hairdo, don't worry," Spike said, his voice almost cracking.

"Oh, Spike," she cooed, her body losing the tension.

They stepped forward and briefly pressed their lips together once more, separating as they heard more footsteps. This time, the recognizable voices of Spike's family and other friends could be heard along with the Manticores and rest of the viewers. Spike immediately knelt down to pick up his helmet, holding it in his side.

"So, what does this mean for the rest of the team?" Spike asked.

"Hmm?" Rarity asked, fixing her hair as Twilight and the others approached the two.

"You cheer me on… so what about the rest of the team? Maybe we can get a cheer squad for them?" Spike asked, inspecting his helmet for any cracks.

"Well—" Rarity glanced over to one the torrent of people exiting the field area. "I have just the girl in mind to help start that up!" Rarity said as she darted past Twilight and the others after spotting someone exiting the area.

Spike watched her run off as Twilight lightly elbowed him in the side, giggling as she did.

"Hey there, superstar. What were you doin' back here!?" Twilight asked, winking at Spike.

"Was it drugs? Is our boy shooting up?" their father asked with a grin.

Silence rang out from the group as all eyes turned to him, Shining slapping himself on the forehead. Twilight's father shrugged his shoulders, coughing once.

"What, I thought you kids were into that sorta thing," he said as Twilight's mother shoved him away.

"No, but it was certainly euphoric," Spike said, remembering the kiss.

"S… so you were masturbating!?" his mother asked.

"Oh my god, why would you ask that!?" Twilight asked, now being the one to shove her mother away in the direction of their father.

Spike groaned, turning away from the group to face a brick wall behind him. Pinkie Pie was the first one to break the silence, bursting into uncontrollable laughter which significantly lightened the mood.

"Oh my, I'm sorry, Spike," Fluttershy apologized meekly.

"Why are you apologizing, Miss 'Shy?" Big Macintosh asked, having witnessed the whole thing as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom followed behind him.

"I… don't know?" she responded, her face reddening, obviously thinking too much.

"Are all y'all masturbatin' over here?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Why didn't you invite us!?" Scootaloo shouted, scowling as she folded her arms.

"Wowie, we should have a party for this since everybody's interested!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"No, Pinkie! Ugh, everybody, just stop and drop this topic!" Twilight shouted, yanking out several hairs.

Turning over, Spike watched the scene unfold before starting to laugh once more, glad for once that he was in such an awkward situation. The group interactions got to him and soon, he found himself almost on the verge of tears of joy. Breaking the situation was none other than Rarity, dragging a familiar face.

"Oh, hay, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom said, grinning. "Ah didn't know ya were here."

"Weeell, you never really asked. I came with Rarity but lost her and by the time I found her, the game started and I was already cheering for the Buffalo team and I didn't wanna break the groove I had the crowd in," Sweetie Belle said.

"Th' fuck? The Buffalo? Bitch, cheer for us next time," Scootaloo said, not hiding the wide grin on her face.

"Actually, Rarity just came to me with the idea which she got from Spike. Apparently he thought the Manticores should have a cheer team," Sweetie Belle said, causing all eyes to turn to Spike.

"Woah, Spike, way to go, man. We're gonna get some babes," Score said, high-fiving Hoops.

Big Macintosh spun around, glaring at the two boys causing them to stop and gulp.

"Ain't none of ya are touchin' my sis' friend," he said in a low voice, low enough that nobody else heard him over the chatter.

Sweetie Belle approached Spike and eyed him up briefly. Spike had to do the same, having not seen her this close in several years.

"Hi, Spike. It's been a while," she said.

"Um, hi, Sweetie," Spike said, finding himself nervous once more. His eyes glanced up to see that yes, Rarity was watching him with a grin on her face. "S-so, you wanna cheer for the Manticores?"

"Sure! I was gonna do it today since I figured you needed it after the last game, but I'd need others to join to get it approved," Sweetie Belle said, pondering.

"Ooh, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy can do it!" Pinkie Pie beamed, squeezing Fluttershy in a tight hug as the latter's eyes widened.

"W-what!? Me!? Cheer in front of a crowd!? I can't cheer!" she protested, struggling to escape Pinkie's grasp.

"Silly willy, you can too. Just take a deep breath and shout! Lots of passion, screaming and hollering! Let your voice be heard! C'mon, Flutters, give it a shot!" Pinkie beamed, hopping up and down.

"O-okay," the shy girl said, poking her fingers. She took a deep, large breath and the rest of the group covered their ears, although it was merely to have good faith. As she finished the large breath, Fluttershy made her attempt. "Yay."

"Ooh, that was great, Fluttershy! But you just need a teensy little more volume, and passion, and screaming and hollering! But other than that, that was great!" Pinkie squeezed Fluttershy in a tight hug once more.

"T-thank you," Fluttershy spat out in a raspy voice.

"Well, that'd be three," Sweetie Belle said. She stood there, tapping her chin as she stared skyward before shrugging. "Oh well, we'll think of a few by next game. But if I'm gonna be helping the team—" Sweetie Belle pulled out her phone, entering her contacts. "We're gonna have to exchange numbers."

"O-oh, alright," Spike said, pulling his phone out.

Once more, Spike had exchanged his number with another as Sweetie Belle filled her contacts up with the others on the football team. Glancing down at the contacts list, he grinned as he saw it was significantly larger than it was at the start of the year; fifteen numbers now and he had the largest grin ever. If he had looked up, he would have seen the several faces smiling at his happiness.

Unexpectedly, his phone started to vibrate and his ringtone, a song from _Les Miserablés_, started to play. Curiously, he saw the caller ID and sighed heavily.

"Who is it?" Twilight asked, leaning over with widened eyes.

Spike tapped the wiggling green telephone on his screen and spoke.

"Hi, Rainbow," Spike muttered into the phone.

"_Oh, oh, Spike, you make Rarity so happy! Yes, Spikey-wikey, I've seen how you look at me, oh, yes, keep touching me like that, Spikey-wikey, I lo—"_

"Aaand enough of that," Spike said, tapping the red phone icon.

Glancing up, he saw the confused faces of the rest of the group except for Rarity whom merely hid behind her flowing purple hair.

"Prank call?" Spike asked.


	9. The Practise in Number

"My ballsack is shrivelling up," Rainbow Dash whined.

"Will ya shut it already? Your fault f' not wearing warm pants," Applejack retorted as she hoisted a blue box on her shoulders.

Several brown bottles clacked in the box as the duo stepped forward into the school grounds, following their same routine. Rainbow Dash had opted for pizza, having purchased two cheese pizzas for the duo much to the protest of Applejack. Slowly and steadily, they approached the bleachers of the football field. Upon reaching the edge, they spotted two faces they didn't expect to see. Off on one end by the street, they saw none other than Spike with several things from the football team's storage: a row of tires; several footballs and the kicking net; plus a football sled. Rainbow seemed genuinely amazed, slowly opening the pizza box to steal a slice while it was still warm.

For a few minutes, they watched Spike practise running techniques as well as the 40-yard dash before he unrolled a rope-ladder, stretching it across the ground as Spike started several ladder drills. Applejack motioned for Rainbow to step onto the bleachers before the captain froze, spotting the second face.

Up on the top seats of the bleachers sat Rarity. She was almost impossible for Rainbow to see given this part wasn't well-lit. She gave Applejack a light shove and upon briefly glaring at the captain, Applejack followed Rainbow's arm to where she pointed to spot the fashionista, oblivious to the duo as she watched Spike from a distance. It appears the boy was completely unaware of the love of his life watching him. Not wanting to intrude on the scene, Rainbow turned away, grinning as she tugged Applejack away.

"Where 're we goin'?" Applejack whispered as the two left the field area.

"I ain't ruining this lovely little scene. Plus I can bug Spike about breaking into the school to train some more, or praise him, or invite him to watch us test out my dildo," Rainbow whispered, giggling as she bit into a hot slice of pizza, exhaling heavily and letting out a quiet, restrained scream as the sauce burned her tongue.

"Ah wouldn't blame 'em if he tested his knuckles on yer shins," Applejack quipped, prodding Rainbow's shoulder blades as she hunched over to spit out the sauce.

"Ah, fu' 'im, fu' 'ou, I don' nee' no' o' 'at," Rainbow attempted to say.

"Hah, what was that?" Applejack asked as they approached a nearby shed that contains the track team's equipment.

Wiping her mouth, Rainbow fidgeted with the passkey on the track team shed briefly. "I won't be spitting out your piping hot sauce in a few minutes, though." Rainbow laughed as Applejack shoved her into the shed.

"Can it. We're only here 'cause it's warm," the farmer said.

With that, the two enjoyed the alcohol they had while the fashionista kept her eyes pinned onto the boy that had captured her heart… and the boy that captured her heart continued to push himself, oblivious to his spectator.

[*][*][*]

Forsaking the weight room, Spike opted to do his daily routines with mobile weights instead; strapped to his arms and legs, he moved about finding every little movement he made exhausting. From simply writing to walking without a slouch, Spike had felt the need to grow accustomed to the weights. To build himself up and continue what he was doing; amazing others, keeping the love of his life attracted to him, keeping Felix at arms length. Numerous times he saw him around school and ever since the game, he couldn't go through the halls without being praised or having to bump fists with others. Felix could never get close and the bully constantly avoided Spike in the mornings; he was glad, otherwise he'd have to fight Felix with his weights.

Rarity continued to prod him to join the group in the cafeteria and he started to attend more, still choosing to let Scootaloo drag him off to their usual tree. Right off the bat, Spike found himself at a disadvantage.

"We were so fuckin' badass so we should fuck and be badass and fuckin' amaze everybody with our badassry and then we should fuckin' amaze them more by fuckin' in front of them," Scootaloo said, devouring her small lunch between words as Spike listened, accustomed to the girl's attitude by now.

"Can't fuck, I'm with _her,_" Spike said, grinning as he reminded himself for the 98th time since the day started, a mere week after their last game.

"Why do you say _her_ like that?" Scootaloo asked, tilting her head to the side. "You say it like you're gonna jizz everytime 'her' is directed to Rarity." Biting into a cracker, Spike briefly blushed, also trying to keep the graham cracker off his tuna sandwich. "I get it. I also bet she doesn't have as nice tits as me. Wink wink, nudge nudge."

Spike found himself unable to speak once more as the thoughts rushed through his mind. '_Soft, round and perky flesh jiggling slightly as they're released from the noir lace Coquette full-figure bra, those scalloped edges leaving slightly red imprints around the flesh. Good god, Spike, why the hell are you being so vivid?'_ Gulping, Spike grunted as he lifted his weighted arm, bringing a spoon with rich homemade vanilla pudding made with little bits of strawberry and a creamy texture made by his mother for dessert the previous night. Being a boy, Spike obviously went for the pudding first before the less-exciting brandied pepper steak, much to the anger of Scootaloo. The pudding simply reminded him of Rarity far more than the steak did.

"Spike, seriously though, I'm really proud of you," Scootaloo said, growing slightly quieter. Spike glanced over as he had to fight not to let his hands drop from the weight. Scootaloo turned her face to the right, hiding her expression. "Although I am a bit sad. Part of me seriously hoped that you'd go for me, but I'm not as awesome as Rainbow Dash is."

Defensively, Spike set his pudding down and set a hand on Scootaloo's back causing the girl to briefly turn towards him. "Scootaloo, you don't have to be as awesome as she is, you have to be as awesome as you are. Plus, she's kind of a huge bitch, no offense to your idol."

Scootaloo shook her head, gritting her teeth as she set her palm against her face, hiding her eyes.

"That won't help me. Rainbow Dash is awesome, bitch or no—and she's not, by the way. Rainbow Dash is a sports star and has awesome friends and is envied by many, I _have_ to be as cool as she is otherwise she'll stop teaching me things," Scootaloo said, grunting.

"Maybe so, but out of seven billion people, there has to be others who can teach you things. You don't have to gun for the affection of one person, dedicating your whole life to appealing to her," Spike said, being careful not to let his heavyweight cause him to press his hand too hard into her back.

"Isn't that what you did for Rarity?" Scootaloo asked, turning to face Spike with a glare in her eye.

Spike leaned back, gulping as he felt a pang of intimidation from what Scootaloo said. Turning away, Spike removed his hand from Scootaloo's back, letting both weighted arms sit in his lap.

'_She's right, that's all I've been doing. It's the whole reason I'm on the football team… just to impress some girl I've loved for a long time. And now that I have her, isn't my goal achieved? Or should I strive for more? Maybe glory… a trophy, a ton of victories and recognition.'_

The girl beside him stood up and she let out a heavy sigh, groaning as she wiped her face. Spike looked away from her, glancing between his propped-up legs towards a patch of dirt next to the tree they sat beside.

"Sorry, Spike. I'm just being a raging thundercunt right now. I'm gonna go for today… but we'll talk later at practise, alright?" Scootaloo muttered as she jogged away from the tree.

Spike casually said his goodbyes as he watched the girl swerve around a group of people that always hung out by the smokers section. Spike groaned as he realized he had to get up now and forced himself to step up, forgetting the plastic package that contained his steak yet making sure that he had his pudding. Glancing down, it seemed like something elegant and expensive that Rarity would buy when in reality this was probably a very cheap dessert. Allowing his fantasy to continue, he slinged the backpack over his shoulders and stumbled forward briefly before managing to stride normally. The weights were starting to make his limbs severely ache.

[*][*][*]

Spike leaned his heavy hands onto his trembling knees, and though his body was still, his heart raced and he desperately chased his breath. The weight training he had pushed himself into seemed like a worse idea every step, but he had worked so hard up to this point, he could not give up. Raising his head, he saw almost all of the others passing him in something so simple as a warm-up jog.

Was this really what he had trained for? To be left in the dust, like always? He grit his teeth, glaring down at his weak legs like they were cancerous. He hoped that Rarity wasn't around to see his struggling, pitiful performance. There was no way she would want to stay with someone who couldn't even complete a simple warm-up.

"Yo, spiney-'squeak," Rainbow Dash's voice abraded him like sand paper. "You're going to need better stamina if you want to rock Rarity in bed, c'mon you pussy, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

She slapped him hard across the back, and though it didn't hurt, it made him teeter on his wobbly legs. He felt her grab his hand suddenly and yank him forward, almost causing him to fall flat on his face. With an irritated grunt, Spike forced his feet to keep moving, violently pulling his hand from hers and glaring at her. Since Spike's legs were quite a bit longer than Rainbow Dash's, he had no trouble catching up to her casual speed, and with a rough shove and a spur of determination, he passed her.

Rainbow Dash jogged to a stop as she watched him take off so suddenly, making up his lost lead and then some. A smirk crossed her face, pleased at his progress. Perhaps he wasn't just a lame wannabe after all. Rainbow jumped as someone slapped her own back, and she felt her own hand get yanked forcefully.

"C'mon, c'mon!" Applejack laughed at her and pulled her along until she found her own step again.

Spike raced past several of his team mates, making a lap ahead of them. His eyes watered from the exhaustion and the wind crashing so hard against his face, but his legs kept moving long past the time he lost feeling. As the warm-up came to an end, Spike found it quite difficult to slow himself back down. As he did, the mushy feeling in his legs caught up to him, and it became more of a challenge just to stand upright.

[*][*][*]

The next day Spike decided to let Scootaloo have time to reflect on the previous day; she hadn't texted him all day until he fell asleep as per what she usually did. Meanwhile, he found Rarity texting far less than anybody else in his contacts, citing her job as the reason. He had gotten used to her apologizing often and Spike always said she didn't have to. This came into play once more.

"Spike, I'm really sorry about last night," Rarity started, turning her whole body towards the boy.

Spike shook his head, waving his hand as he took a sip from his drink. Gulping, he continued.

"Really, you don't have to apologize," Spike responded.

"Apologize for what? Did she leave you with blue balls?" Rainbow asked soliciting a slap from the farmer sitting next to her.

Rolling her eyes, Rarity shut out the comment while Spike's mind lingered on it as the girl spoke. Rainbow and AJ hadn't told the others yet everyone assumed that it was common knowledge… although Spike and Rarity still never outright said it or held hands. As far as _he_ knew, Spike was still just trying his hardest to woo Rarity.

"Yes I do. It's not nice to fall asleep when someone is talking to you, exhausted or not," she responded, opening a pudding similar to the one Spike had the previous day.

Spike fought back an urge to wince as he struggled to lift his own spoon to his mouth, letting her continue.

"I've just been rather swamped with my work lately; these clients from Cloudsdale are horrendous and horrible people, constantly telling me to rework my design into something that shows the stitching as if they know a thing about fashion and well I say that if they knew so much why didn't they just ask someone else they can order around to do it or just do it themselves." Taking a deep breath, Rarity closed her eyes and exhaled slowly as all eyes were on her. "But, the customer is always right, and they have paid me in advance. I finished last night and am awaiting on their response."

"I saw it and I thought it was beautiful," Fluttershy said, fixing her flowing hair to cover her eyes.

"Why thank you, Fluttershy, but alas, I have to conform to the customer's needs and wants. I won't make business if I keep defying the customers," Rarity said, sighing dejectedly.

Spike gulped down part of his jello, attempting to smile as his arms shook due to the odd weight. "Well, I guess life sucks in that way. Can't do much about it, but I still think the final product looks presentable even if—"

An empty tin can impacted him in the back of the head, causing Spike to wince and the whole group to glance over at him. He briefly looked at the empty Coke can and slowly turned around to see Felix across the cafeteria once again high-fiving his friends triumphantly. Spike inadvertently crushed his drink can in his hand, his whole arm shaking for a completely different reason as he grit his teeth. A gentle hand set itself on his shoulder and his anger and frustration vanished. Turning to the source, he saw Rarity giving him a small smile and he couldn't help himself from loosening up, a small smile appearing on his face. Rainbow stared on intently, grinning as she wrapped her arm around Applejack's shoulder knowingly.

"Well, anyways," Spike said, releasing his grip on the can which had been imprinted with his fingerprints.

Although grinning moments before, Rainbow's eyes were glued on Felix across the room, the captain rubbing her chin as she attempted to process what was going on.

[*][*][*]

Time had seemed to blend for Spike, as days went by in the same exhausting manner. He would wake up, adorn all his terribly troublesome weights, go off to his mind-numbing education, continue to football practice or train on his own, and fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He tried his best to spend more time with Rarity, but she was very busy and so was he, getting into peak physical condition for her.

Spike stared out in front of him, but he wasn't really looking at anything in particular. He really wanted to just sit down for a moment, but doing so in the middle of the field would look ridiculous. His eyes were half-lidded and glazed as images of himself flashed before his eyes: he would need to get bigger, he would need to be more skillful on the field, he would need to—

"Incoming!" the voice that called was a spell too late, as the football hit Spike in the kidney.

Spike blinked and looked down at the object as it bounced away, it had hardly hurt at all since he was carrying around his weighted vest under his uniform. He looked up as two boys ran towards him, and he almost envied their carefree nature. As they reached him, one plucked the ball up and the other came right over to Spike.

"Were you even watching?" Snips said in an annoyingly pouty voice, crossing his arms as Snails walked up behind him with the ball.

"Oh, right, yeah," Spike tried to agree, nodding furiously.

"I don't think he was," Snails spoke slowly, frowning a bit.

"Come on, Spike! You said you'd help us out, so are you watching our catches or not?" Snips appeared to have a little tantrum about it.

"Sorry, you're right," Spike nodded as she took the ball from Snails. "You guys are doing fine, but this isn't dodgeball. You can't just catch a ball and get someone out, there are always going to be enemy players running right after you, and you have to protect the ball."

"Hey," a terribly breathy voice said from a short distance behind them, and they looked over to see the boy, Featherweight, running over. "Sorry I'm late, Apple Bloom moved me up another five pounds, and wouldn't let me leave until I did enough sets."

"That's all right, Spike is just getting here too," Snips laughed and Spike grunted at the accusation.

"Anyway," Spike growled lowly as he cleared his throat. "For toughening up and the tackling stuff, Shining Armour is better to ask then I would be. But like I said, receiving isn't just about the catch, it's about what you do afterwards just as much."

"How do we train for that, then?" Snails wondered curiously.

"Well, I don't know how Rainbow would want you doing it," Spike looked for said girl, only to find her talking to an irritated Applejack and throwing her arms all over the farmer. "But since there's three of you, one could toss the ball while the other two fight to catch it, and the one who catches gets to throw next. Sound like a good game?"

"Sounds like you're copping out on us," Snips raised his eyebrow, and Spike nervously laughed.

"I don't know what you want from me, I'm not that great at this stuff either, I'd say to ask Scootaloo for more about catching, if you want to know." Spike frowned as he looked around for her.

"No way, she's scary," Snails put his hands up and shook them.

"Then go and practise already," Spike flipped the ball through the air with a flick of his wrist, sending it toppling into Snail's hands.

"Uh, right," the others seemed to agree anyway, and ran back off to an emptier area of the field.

Spike sighed, the motion even hurting his chest a little to do. He removed his helmet at last, letting the somewhat cool fall air swish through his hair, the muggy feeling of confinement in a helmet blowing away with the wind. He had told himself to jog home after practice, but that had begun to sound like a worse and worse idea the lower the heavy sun sunk to the horizon. He heard the muffled sounds of cleats in grass before any greeting, but the hard steps told him of who was approaching him.

"There you are," Pipsqueak said as he came up beside Spike, his own helmet tucked under his arm to reveal the glistening sweat on his forehead. "I feel like I haven't seen you much at all lately, chap."

"I never miss practice," Spike argued simply, turning to face the taller boy.

"I s'pose not, eh," he chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head with his gloved fingers. "Well, a few of us were going to get a bite to eat after practice, and I thought you might like to come along."

"Me?" Spike blinked, surprised to have been invited at all. He hadn't made himself very available to others lately, so it seemed weird they would want to hang out with him at all. "I don't want to intrude."

"Nonsense!" Pipsqueak almost shouted, slapping Spike on his back nearly hard enough to knock him over. "We want you there. Truly."

Spike's smile seemed to do the trick of confirming it. There wasn't much of practice left anyway, and excited to go hang out with friends, for once, he quickly changed out of his uniform even if it ached to raise his arms. If he wasn't going to get around to jogging after all that evening, he might as well keep his weights on. He waited just outside the change rooms for Pipsqueak, nervously checking his phone every few seconds to look busy. Finally, his friend emerged and dragged him off to the parking lot.

Pipsqueak had borrowed his mother's four-door maroon hatchback, though it had been a long and trying negotiation, and helped Spike open the old door. Before taking off, Pipsqueak pulled up closer to the field and waited for a few others: namely Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. The pair emerged just a moment or so later, Pipsqueak having sent Apple Bloom a text about it. Though it was very awkward due to his large size, Pipsqueak leaned back and slipped his hand behind his seat, managing to grope his way to the inside door handle of the rear door before prying it open for the girls. Apple Bloom had grabbed the door and held it open wider, only for Scootaloo to race in first, no surprise there.

Once everyone was in, Pipsqueak took them to a little diner just a few blocks away. It didn't end up being just the four of them, as the three boys Spike had been helping earlier showed up in Featherweight's car. Making the group total seven, they had to pull a few tables together so they could all fit, and the noise they produced was almost tangible.

"It never gets old!" Snips chortled loudly, slapping his hand on the table and laughing at his buddy.

"Until I knock those into your throat," Scootaloo barked, reaching out and grabbing the two straws that Snails had stuck around his canine teeth to make him look like a walrus.

"Hey, give those back," Snails whined as he tried to take them back, but Scootaloo was faster and more obnoxious about it, sticking her tongue out.

In their little fight for the control of two measly little straws, Scootaloo accidentally bumped into Spike, knocking him almost right off his seat. He cringed as she adjusted himself, his body sore and stiff after being seated for so long already. Apple Bloom was on the other side of Scootaloo, and tipped her own chair back as she noticed this behaviour. While the girl between them stuck the straws between her fingers like clumsy chopsticks and tried to pick up some fries with them, Apple Bloom turned her attention to Spike.

"Heya, y'alright there?" Apple Bloom asked curiously, holding herself on the hind legs of her seat.

"Oh, yeah, I'm just a little tired is all," Spike nervously brushed her off.

"Ah can imagine, growin' that much muscle so quick-like?" Apple Bloom smiled warmly, her voice oddly gentle under the bickering and chatter of the others. "Ah know the feelin', don't worry though, it'll get easier. Eat up, you'll need it."

"What's with the whispering? You making a move on my man here?" Scootaloo leaned back between them. "You want him that bad, I guess we could share."

"Now, now, Spike is off limits, aren't you mate?" Pipsqueak chimed in with a sing-song voice. "He's gone and got himself a lady friend."

"Who told ya? Ah had t' overhear ma sister talkin' with Dash 'bout it," Apple Bloom complained with a pout.

"What? A girlfriend? I gotta get me one of those!" Snips bounced in his seat eagerly. "Is she hot?"

"Shuddup, Snips," Apple Bloom spat, her usual temper returning. "Y'want a girl? Y'gotta quit stuffin' yer face an' follow ma trainin' routines for once!"

"That sounds hard," Snails groaned as he leaned over the table lazily.

"Tough titties!" Scootaloo kicked him from under the table, and he whined a pained sound while rubbing the sore spot.

"If all girls are anything like you, I think I'll go stag," Snips chirped rudely and broke into laughter, only to have Scootaloo reach over and shove his face into his poutine.

Spike smiled under the heat of his blush, nervous that they were all talking about his relationships like that. The weirdest part, was they sounded envious. Spike had never really been the object of envy before, and he had to admit it was flattering. He looked down at the hands clasped in his lap, noticing how awkward he looked compared to the rest of them. Forcibly changing that habit, he laid his hands out onto the table and got back into the conversation.

[*][*][*]

Rainbow angrily pushed her motorcycle down the street, having encountered an issue with the clutch and brake. As she walked, she spotted none other than, who else, Spike, jogging down the street in long-sleeve clothes once more. He seemed to be carrying something heavy on his back; either that or he was exhausted entirely already. Rainbow watched as the boy approached her, expecting a 'hello' but he seemed to pass right by her. Then it clued into her that Spike didn't know she owned a motorcycle, let alone could recognize her with the helmet on. She turned around and flipped the visor up on her face, shouting at him.

"Yo, fuckin' pipsqueak," Rainbow shouted.

Confused, Spike slowed down, stumbling as he did and turned to face the girl. Stepping forward, he squinted his eyes before seeing several locks of Rainbow's hair poking from the front of the helmet.

"Uh, hi… Rainbow?" he asked cautiously as he started panting heavily.

"Who else has a sexy figure like this?" Rainbow laughed, adjusting the zipper on her uniform.

"R… Rarity?" he asked cautiously yet again.

"Oh god, will you just bone her already? And film it so AJ and I can have a good laugh," Rainbow chuckled. Scoffing, Rainbow undid the zipper exposing her 'cleavage' as she undid several buttons. "Middle of fall and it's hot as hell," she muttered.

Shrugging, Spike still didn't speak as Rainbow removed her helmet, setting it atop the back of the motorcycle seat.

"So, what're you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, just jogging," he said, wiping his brow as he was sweating profusely.

"For the past week, you've been struggling to so much as move. What, do you constantly cream your pants because you're with Rarity now? At least it would explain why you're so shaky and jittery," Rainbow said, shrugging as she sat on the edge of the seat.

"No, no, just training," he responded, continuing to jog on the spot before he relaxed even further while also keeping his arms bent. "Gotta get buff and whatnot."

"Yeah, but you've been struggling to eat pudding. As well as walk. Did you suddenly get cancer or something? You look even frailer than Scootaloo or me," Rainbow said, frowning as she pondered it.

Sighing, Spike pulled his shirt up slightly, struggling with that as well. Rainbow chuckled in response. "Woah there, I don't swing that way, bu—" Rainbow stopped herself as she saw what Spike was wearing. Underneath his shirt was a 60lb weighted vest as well as a weighted belt. She could only assume he also wore wrist and ankle weights regardless of the potential threat. Her jaw hung a bit as she glanced at his body, realizing what he was doing. "Weights!? You've been doing for that for the past week!? Jesus… I tried that once and damaged a tendon. How the hell are you still standing?" Rainbow asked, stepping forward as she gently tugged on the weighted vest.

"I dunno, male superiority?" Spike asked, letting his shirt slide back down to it's original place. "It's only made me tired, I've never had any issues yet."

"Well shit, you should take it easy. I mean, past week or two or something, you've gotta be a little larger than before since you haven't been injured yet," Rainbow said, stepping back and checking her bike's kickstand.

"Actually, I've gotten significantly larger in muscle mass. I'm approaching Applejack's physique, which scientifically seems impossible," Spike said, shrugging.

"I call bullshit. There's no way at all that's possible, I think," Rainbow responded as she straddled the seat of her motorcycle, attempting to balance as they conversed.

"It happened, believe it or not," he continued. "But regardless, I have a routine to finish."

Rainbow nodded as Spike slowly spun around, jogging off in the other direction. Glancing back, she watched him head towards the general location of the Carousel Boutique. Grinning yet again, Rainbow stepped off the bike and continued to wheel it down the street.

[*][*][*]

"Okay, I'll see you later, Rarity," Spike said as he hit the end call icon on his phone.

Having removed his weights, Spike allowed himself a rest between then and the start of their next game. With a smile, he pocketed his phone as he strutted with a spring in his step. He rounded a corner, his world suddenly ringing with noise and lights flashing in his eyes as a significant crack sounded and a thudding pain rocketed through the back of his head. He hit the ground and let out a groan before feeling a foot impact him in the side of the ribcage. It didn't _truly_ hurt, merely having knocked the wind out of him.

Something tugged on his backpack's handle, yanking him to his feet. His eyes focused faster than before and he saw Felix just as he thrust a fist forward, impacting Spike in the gut. He managed to stay his ground yet a foot to the back of his knee caused him to stumble into the wall next to him. Two sets of hands wrapped around both his arms, holding him up and Felix took this moment to punch him again. Spike brought his knee up and there was a slight crack sounding as Felix's knuckles impacted Spike's kneecap. The bully stumbled back as he grasped his wrist; nothing was broken, just a shock from cracking knuckles. Lifting both legs off the ground, Spike yanked on his arms; the boys holding him lost their balance and were on one foot while Spike yanking as well caused them to slam their faces into each other. Their grip being released, Spike found his arms free as he landed on the ground in a squatting position.

A foot still impacted his jaw, rolling Spike back as Felix's weight landed atop Spike and he attempted to start repeatedly pounding on Spike's face yet nobody was really expecting Spike to retaliate from that, let alone overpower anyone.

Regardless of Felix practically sitting on Spike's stomach, the latter sat up, shoving Felix off him as Spike yanked a fist back to punch him. One of the others grabbed his arm and held it as Spike turned; the third boy punched Spike in the jaw, dislocating it yet Spike never seemed to falter, taking the hit in stride. Once more, Spike yanked his arm causing the boy holding his wrist to fall forward. Throwing himself to the side, Spike made sure the boy's elbow, in his attempt to not slam his fist into the ground, impacted right on Felix's nose.

Rolling away from the pileup, Spike stumbled to his feet just as tires screeched beside him. Standing up, he glanced to the side just as a car slid to a halt merely half a foot away from his leg. Spike didn't react, glancing down at the car's hood as he felt a bit of blood run down his nose onto the old, beat-up silver hood. He stumbled out of the way as the older man stepped out of the car to see what was going on, just for Spike to sniffle back a bit of blood in his dazed state, adjusting his backpack as his phone rang once more. Pulling it out, he saw the caller ID and smiled once more. Realigning his jaw manually, he winced briefly as the pain registered before he answered the call.

"Hey, Rarity, what's up?"

[*][*][*]

Spike sat in his room, tapping his desktop nervously with a pen as he sat in a full tuxedo, attempting to do his homework. The suit he wore was a charcoal gray herringbone two-button slim-fit tuxedo imported from a nation he couldn't recall yet picked up in Canterlot. Being careful not to tear it as it was now going to be his until he outgrew it, he attempted to make sure that at least one button was done up without risking two. He was far more paranoid than he needed to be yet one thing always rung true in his mind: he had to be perfect for that night. The nervous feeling he felt had served to be his undoing upon telling his parents he had a date as well as asking quite possibly the stupidest question he could manage.

"_Dad, how many buttons are on a two-button suit?"_

Feeling his face flush from the memory, Spike grit his teeth as he set an elbow gently on the edge of the desk, tapping the button against his forehead as he clenched his eyes tightly.

"Fried oysters with spicy sauce, or maybe sausage stuffed pepper. For Rarity, I shouldn't order for her but if I must, mussels and truffle fries would be good? No, she doesn't like mussels… what about pork loin with apples, or is that too masculine? Soups, there's always the option to order the hot soup or maybe the caesar, or perhaps romaine, or maybe arugula." Biting the button of the pen, he found homework to be his second priority yet again. "For drinks… none of us can really drink, we're underage, so wine is out of the question… is it? Or can we just pretend we're overage? Lord knows Rarity could and my build could always—no, wait, that's stupid. If anything, I'd order a craft beer to try and seem masculine but I'd have to keep face or my nervousness would get us kicked out of the _Lunar Sun_, and then Rainbow would laugh."

"Sounds pretty heavy there," a voice said from behind.

Freezing, Spike repressed a gulp as he processed the voice and turned around, eyes briefly locking onto a poster for _Les Misérables_, wondering if he should take her to see the play while it was still in Broadway. Clicking his tongue as his eyes slowly faced the figure he called his father, he swivelled the desk chair around, disposing of the pen on the desktop before twiddling his thumbs.

"I'd say you would pass for an adult. Although I probably shouldn't condone it, I personally wouldn't blame you for trying to order an alcoholic beverage. Fancy date with a fine young woman like Rarity would probably call for some sort of wine," he said as he entered the room, closing the door. "Twilight told me all about her when she first met her, how she was born and raised in the wrong town. Shortly after that, Twilight wasn't too mad that we moved from Canterlot."

"I probably would have been on the Canterlot Wondercolts in that case," Spike muttered, realizing who he'd be against.

"Fine team, but you came around," the older man said as he sat on Spike's bed.

'_I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for—'_ Stopping his thought process, Spike repressed ancient memories and saved face, unable to lock eyes with his father. "If you say so."

A moment of silence occurred, the sun dipping down under the horizon as a watch somewhere in the room beeped, signalling the new hour. The older man took a deep sigh as he removed a set of reading glasses, tapping the end against his knee as he spoke.

"I know I haven't been the best of fathers, and sometimes it may seem like I'm even favouring Twilight or Shining, but you're my son too and it's sort of amazing to see you like this. I remember the first time I ever saw Shining in a tuxedo. He looked like more of a man than I did." Chuckling, Spike's father looked up at him, the small movement of his head causing Spike to look to him. "Then again, you can only look so manly with a bowlcut."

The duo shared a small chuckle as they both pictured the hairdo. Sniffing once, Spike's father continued.

"I had always said you could talk to me about anything and you'd always say thanks for the offer. You did a few times and I'm glad yet you always handled things on your own, and if you didn't, you never wanted help. You always wanted to be your own man. I wasn't sure if that was because of my shortcomings or maybe even inadvertently favouriting Shining and Twilight, or if it was just because you wanted to be strong, but I always felt like you never needed me."

"Of course I need you," Spike responded, his voice quieter than he intended. "You're the only one I knew as a father. I don't even remember _his_ voice, and I can barely picture his face. I always see you when I think of a father." Gulping once, Spike stared dejectedly at his lap. "I just didn't think you wanted to waste your time on a freaky iguana-eyed—"

"Stop right there." The stern voice silenced Spike immediately as his father continued, seemingly glaring at him. "I've known you since you were just turning four. Even then, you already seemed so grown up and wise beyond your years. You managed to logically disprove of Santa Claus by then, which only served to help me accept you considering two years prior, Twilight scientifically disproved Santa's existence. She made Shining cry when she told him."

Once more, the duo laughed, the father moreso being there to witness the scene and Spike's body visibly loosened up.

"You're my son, and I've always considered you my son. Even when I see your hair and eyes. You've been part of this family since you started school and I will never stop considering you my son."

By that point, Spike had to fight back tears, attempting to keep face. His father chuckled in response as Spike nonchalantly wiped his eyes.

"Even now, you're trying to be strong. I'm really proud of you, Spike, and I know it isn't much, but I wanted you to have this," the older man said, standing up.

A gentle grasp on his wrist tugging caused Spike's hand to extend outward and he glanced up as he saw $400, adding to his $200 already saved for the date as well as the keys to the man's car. It wasn't the station wagon belonging to his mother, it was the keys belonging to his father's Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

Not that they made it very apparent, besides perhaps his somewhat overly flashy father buying things like the car to keep up appearances, but Spike's family were some of the wealthiest in town. The house was enormous and perfectly kept, their clothes were often new and tailored to fit right, and they got bonuses like the tip his father gave him on top of his allowance.

Spike's eyes widened as he realized what it was and his other hand grabbed the tip of the key's blade and held it up, watching the remote dangle as his father grinned.

"I never thought I'd actually get to drive it," Spike muttered.

"Sure. Keep? No, but I could let you drive it, especially for a night like tonight," his father said, patting Spike on the shoulders.

Glancing up, Spike stared, wowed at his father and couldn't fight a grin. He attempted to speak, only to stutter in response.

"Don't thank me, it's making up for times I may have neglected you or have been unable to help. It's really no trouble."

With that, Spike's father stepped outside of the room leaving Spike to bask in the realization of the trust planted onto him. In Twilight's room, she heard the door open and close, realizing their chat must be done and looked to her open door. Her father strolled past her door, calm and grinning and seconds later she heard thumping before a black blur with green hair zipped by. Rapid thumping took its place as the stairs were seemingly cleared in a second and the front door opened and closed. She grinned before returning to her studies once more. Sitting himself down next to his wife, Spike's father faced the TV, a big grin planted on his face. Glancing over, his mother studied him briefly.

"Smiley appears to have stopped by. What's got you so grinny?" she asked, a smile appearing on her face. Before she could finish, an engine roared to life and her ears perked up, smile still on her face. "Oh, that sounds cleaner than before. Did you actually get the station wagon fi… Wait—" Standing up, she walked over to the window just as Twilight bolted down the stairs. The two women watched as Spike rolled out of the parking lot, revving the engine of the SLR McLaren before taking off down the street.

"You let him drive the Mercedes!? You didn't even let Shining do that! Or me!" Twilight said, amazed as she looked back to her father.

"Spike also didn't rear end the same cop twenty minutes after getting his license like I distinctly remember two of my children doing," he said as he adjusted the volume on the TV.

"Oh, whatever," Twilight said, swatting her hand at her father as she walked back upstairs.

"I also don't remember being allowed to drive it," Spike's mother said as she slowly turned back to her husband, a subtle glare adorning her face.

He only shrugged in response, sheepishly grinning as she rolled her eyes, taking her spot next to him once more.

[*][*][*]

"Hey, come on, don't be like that. I'm sure your boyfriend can't match up to your standards."

Rarity rolled her eyes, keeping them hidden behind Vogue Eyewear sunglasses as she examined the streets. Spike had sent her a text stating he'd arrive in under ten minutes yet she found herself wish it was one given her new company. Several boys, obvious college jocks, had decided to keep her company as she stood on the edge of the sidewalk outside Manehatten Milton Mall.

She wore a beige faux-leather coat, three of the five buttons done up from the bottom along with a deep red checkerboard scarf she had made along with a simple teddy legging covered by a crimson velvet heart skirt to cover it and crimson Butimba high heels to match. On her ears she wore white-gold hoops with lavender amethysts embedded. An orangey-red lipstick, _Dangerous_, was applied causing a brilliant contrast against her paler skin. Her violet hair was put into cascading curls, running down her shoulder.

It stands to be said that she stood out in the darker end of town. The three boys had approached her yet kept their distance. Various praises and compliments were thrown out, some true, some just relentless attempts at getting laid that Rarity ignored entirely. It wasn't long before she she started begging any car that drove by was Spike. A beat up oldsmobile there, a Ferrari here; she wasn't mad, but she was wishing he had sped up.

Unexpectedly, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren pulled up next to where she stood and at first, she couldn't understand why until a dashing young boy in a spiffy tuxedo wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses stepped out, a massive grin on his face and a build only a football player could have (it was also larger than she remembered). Her mouth slowly opened up before her jaw dropped fully as she processed who it was. He casually strolled around the car, his fears and nervousness earlier gone entirely. His mere presence caused the boys hitting on Rarity to stop talking as they watched Spike not even acknowledge their presence. Rarity's eyes were glued to Spike as he walked to the passenger-side door and with a swift motion, opened the door, the silver car limb opening upward.

"Wha-wha…?" was all Rarity could manage to say.

"I believe we have reservations at _Per Se_, m'lady," Spike said, taking out Rarity's hand as she shakily offered it to him.

"Y-yes, we do!" she said, unable to stop a large smile from appearing on her face.

She took a breath as she stepped into the passenger seat of the car, running her hands over the red leather interior of the car as she sat down on the seat, feeling her legs go weak as Spike closed the door. Taking this moment, she let out several giggles, squealing with glee as she ran her hands over the black and red interior. As Spike took his seat in the car, closing the door, Rarity reached over and latched her fingers onto his wrist as he set it down on the armrest. Curiously, he glanced over to see Rarity excitedly panting as she examined the interior of the car.

"Spike, darling, I don't mean to be materialistic but this car is making you so attractive!" she said, saying each word with little pause. "Your f-father's, I take it?"

"Yep. He let me borrow it for the night," Spike said triumphantly, adjusting a bowtie as the three boys watched the car.

Just to emphasize, he set his left foot on the brake and used his right to gently press down on the gas. The engine revved once and Rarity herself purred along with the car. Blindly, she gently buckled herself in, missing the buckle several times before finally clicking it. Spike was still in a state of disbelief and awe that he wasn't able to process anything yet. Setting his foot on the brake, he shifted gears into drive and gently pulled into the road.

"Looking at the two of you, it's hard to remember that you and Twilight are born in wealth," Rarity said, amazed. Almost immediately, her eyes shifted to worry and panic as she faced Spike. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I meant—"

Spike held up his right hand, one finger pressed against her lips effectively silencing the girl. Rarity gulped once, feeling her cheeks flush briefly as she leaned back, resting against the seat.

"You weren't wrong about both of us coming from wealth," Spike muttered. "But never mind that. Point is, we don't act like wealthy folk so I can see where your confusion comes from. But worry not, m'lady, for tonight we shall live like celebrities!" Spike punctuated his words with a hearty laugh at the end, winking at Rarity as he adjusted the sunglasses sitting on his face.

"W-well, I must say, Spike, I'm surprised; I never thought you could act like this. This new Spike is rather exciting and fresh," Rarity said, calming down from her mild-high from earlier.

"Changes occur, and I can't be that same loser that can't even get rid of Fe—" Spike gulped briefly before remembering who was sitting next to him. "—lix. Whatever, I'm changing for the better. Plus, I can now bench press 180 pounds, no problem. The wonders of lifting."

"Mmm, I thought you looked a little larger," Rarity said, dropping her voice to a sultry tone. "I must say, I would have been fine if you simply wanted to go to Max's Diner for our date. I do wonder how you managed to get reservations at _Per Se_, of all places," Rarity said, returning to her chipper attitude. "My more fancy clients rave about that place and most of them can't even get a reservation!"

"My dad's name is rather hefty," Spike responded with a wink, his hands instinctively caressing the leather of the wheel.

Taking a sharp right, Spike and Rarity briefly leaned as the car realigned with the lane, the restaurant sign visible up ahead. The building itself was elegant enough and Rarity immediately found her excitement from moments ago resurging. The exterior was packed with expensive cars as well as the odd oldsmobile here and there. Driving past numerous Ferraris and Aston Martins the rich brought to Manehatten for some reason, Spike had driven up to the front where he was immediately greeted by a valet. Spike stepped out, taking in the area briefly before tossing the keys into the hands of the valet, remembering numerous films as his reasoning. He opened the door for Rarity, allowing her to step out and she took a sharp breath as she laid eyes on the elegant entrance to the restaurant. All the pleasantries he'd expected after seeing the films were met and he found himself escorting a wide-eyed Rarity whom could barely keep her composure to their table. Upon being seated, she let out a deep sigh of fascination.

"Oh wow, Spike, I never thought once in my life would I be escorted on a date in a vehicle like that to a place like this by a man like you," she said, removing her sunglasses to reveal her shimmering cyan eyes to Spike.

Spike gulped in response, constantly remind himself, '_this is really happening!'_ Giving a toothy grin, he opened up his menu with his eyes still fixated on Rarity who merely continued staring into his own. Raising an eyebrow, Spike opened his mouth.

"What will you be having, m'lady?" Spike asked, suddenly shifting his eyes towards the menu.

'_Is this too smooth!? No… it's __**three**_ _smooth, which is more than too smooth.'_ Wincing at his thoughts, Spike found himself once again lost on what to order. After a brief moment, his mind eventually selected a dish. Just as he did, Rarity realized what he meant. Her face flushed red briefly, the girl opening the menu and glancing down at the items.

"Oysters and pearls with red wine, the Château Sociando-Mallet to be specific. It's been a while so, I figured I'd treat myself," she said, closing the menu with a small grin.

"_I'll_ be treating you, miss Rarity," Spike responded, closing the menu shortly after.

Just as he did, as luck would have it, a waiter stopped by and just as he opened his mouth to declare the soups of the day, Spike raised a finger, once again silencing the other.

"Per Se Cider with Elysian Fields Farm's lamb along with salt-baked potato, just croutons and oysters and pearls with red wine," Spike said, waving his finger every other word. "Oh, and a glass of water, too."

The waiter smiled, nodded and left their table right after and Spike couldn't stop a grin from appearing on his face. Slouching over briefly, he had to suppress a laugh, opting to chuckle quietly as Rarity had a wide smile.

"Oh my god, I was so surprised I held myself together," Spike said, leaning back into the chair.

He glanced to the side which luckily had a window displaying lush trees just across the street; a nearby park which Spike made a mental note to visit. Rarity giggled as she removed her jacket, something Spike had to resist slapping himself for forgetting.

"One could almost thing you've been doing this your whole life," she said, becoming more lax as she at first folded her arms before bringing a hand up, resting a finger on her bottom lip.

Spike removed his sunglasses and slipped one of the arms into his chest pocket, shrugging. "Well, I did extensively learn proper etiquette and how to act in places like this, given I was from Canterlot. Twilight knows how to but has never needed it and Shining practises it every day. Personally, I don't mean to toot my own horn but I dare say that I could act every bit of a smug, prissy nobleman should the situation call for it." Leaning back, Spike crossed his legs as he folded his hands on his lap as Rarity listened. "Main thing though, be in charge without being large."

Rarity's head tilted to the side and she raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"Something that was drilled into my mind from—" He paused, shrugging his shoulders. "_Before_ my years with Twilight." Rarity maintained her face but Spike saw the brief flicker in the appearance. Not thinking of it, he continued. "Basically, it means know how to act like you're the one everybody wants to know and serve without acting like you know you're doing it. Think of being a king without being smug. You _know_ you're in charge, everybody knows you're in charge, but you don't throw it around arrogantly, that's how you get yourself assassinated."

"It'd be a shame if my king got assassinated," Rarity responded.

For once, Spike's composure cracked and he stuttered out a word. "W-what?"

The woman giggled, closing her eyes as she did before softly speaking, her eyes opening up halfway. "Even under this smooth, mature Spike, you're still adorable and cute, like the boy I knew growing up." Biting her lip, she glanced down and ran her fingers over the elegant silverware set next to the space where her plate would be. "Well, I suppose I'm lucky to have a combination of the two nearly opposite sides."

"I'm lucky you so much as glanced my way," Spike responded, his mind flashing back to the many times he wished to be the centre of her focus.

"I'm lucky no skanky little princess got their muddy little hands on you first… oh, food's here," Rarity said, shifting to sit upright.

"Oh, so it is," Spike said after a quick glance around the room revealed a waiter heading towards his table.

The dishes were set on the table along with the drinks. Spike was yet again surprised that he managed to get away with ordering alcohol but revered in his victory as the two slowly began to eat their food. Spike gently sawed off a part of the lamb with his knife, chewing slowly as Rarity took a break from eating to talk.

"Well, I must say that watching the cheerleaders become a thing is quite exhilarating since I can finally make some more feminine uniforms for a school sports program. It's always jerseys and jocks rather than skirts and girls. Not that I'm complaining, business is business, but I do miss what gave me prominence which was that one time four years ago when I was, well, _fourteen_ when I caught the eyes of none other than Sapphire Shores, the Queen of Pop. I must say, creating the uniforms for her tour was what gave me such huge publicity and made me enough money in a month to afford the boutique for eight years."

Pausing briefly, Rarity's eyes lit up as her fingers gently lifted the glass of red wine up. She twisted her wrist, watching the liquids swish in the glass as Spike paused his chewing, just to watch as Rarity slowly moved the rim of the skinny glass towards her. Cyan eyes met green, causing Spike to accidentally swallow the chewed up lamb and he watched as her eyes stayed fixated on his as the lip of the glass pressed against her bottom lip. She tilted the glass' base upwards and Spike felt his heart beat faster as he watched the liquid slowly pour into her mouth. Gently tilting it down, she gulped once and smiled at him.

"H-how is the wine?" Spike asked.

"De_li_cious," she said, allowing her tongue to rub her top lip as she enunciated part of the word.

"Haha, right, true," Spike said as he lifted his own glass to his lips. Tilting it back, his eyes slightly crossed to focus on the glass. '_Wait, this isn't alcohol.'_

Dinner proceeded with several breaks to talk, mostly about school and work. Spike found himself unable to say he was getting full, opting to eat more to seem more masculine. Rarity ate half of her dish before she stopped. She wasn't tipsy but she was definitely a bit more lax thanks to the wine. Upon being asked, Spike had confirmed to the waiter that the main course was done.

"And would you like desert?" he asked.

Spike's eyes shifted to Rarity's as she looked up to the waiter, smiling as she nodded. "Spiced pumpkin ice cream for me." Spike shrugged, glancing up to the waiter.

"Assortment of desserts, because I'll never choose."

"Very well," the waiter said once more vanishing, this time with their meals.

"Chocolates, fruits, ice cream and candy, huh?" Rarity asked, winking.

"Stooop, I need this to fulfill my fantasy," Spike said, grinning.

"Does said fantasy involve lil' miss Rarity?" the woman in question asked.

Spike felt his cheeks heat up and he gulped, unable to focus his eyes on Rarity. He scratched the back of his head, just to complete the cliche image.

"W-well, uh, yeah. But I dunno if you'll go for a chocolate fudge sundae ice cream house with sprinkles," Spike said with a sheepish grin as he finally glanced over to Rarity.

"Haha, oh my gosh, Spike, that's so adorable," she said, flicking her wrist at him.

"Three adorable?" Spike asked, rubbing his chin before he caught himself.

"Three adorable?" Rarity asked, this time genuinely confused.

"N-nothing," Spike said, averting his eyes. "Ooh look, the sun's almost down," he said, pointing out the window.

"Mmm, indeed it is, Spike," she said, devilishly grinning at Spike.

Shortly after, dessert was served. For this part, none of the duo talked, hungrily devouring the ice cream and sweets in pairs. Spike found himself sacrificing all of his chocolate to Rarity and, at one point, feed one to Rarity. He was wondering if she'd suck on his finger to complete the fantasy but alas, nothing happened. Once more, he found the waiter taking their plates away. Food was paid for and he waited by the entrance for Rarity to finish "powdering her nose". Glancing around the area, he observed the people dining, part of him attempting to understand the life behind most of these folk before a voice called out.

"Yoo hoo, I'm ready to leave, Spikey-wikey," Rarity called out as she approached the lobby.

Spike held out his arm and Rarity took it without pause. He grinned as he contemplated the evening. '_This was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Except Felix earlier, but totally perfect.'_

Handing his ticket to the valet, he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He faced Rarity, the two of them opting to leave their glasses off as they stared into the others' eyes. It was cut short as the Mercedes pulled up, the valet stepping out without much surprise. Spike expected this since he probably has to park these kind of cars all the time. He tipped the waiter $20 as he returned the keys, causing Spike to wonder why turning the motor off. Quickly, he opened the door and watched as Rarity once more lit up with excitement upon being seated in the luxurious car. Spike took a breath of air as he closed the door, glancing at the surroundings. Facing the car, he stepped around and got into the drivers side, taking in the grand interior as Rarity just had. After a brief moment of appreciation, he put the keys into the ignition, turning it on and Rarity got to listen to the engine roar to life. She shifted her body as she took it in, once again purring with the engine.

"Again, not to be materialistic, but," she said, letting Spike fill in the rest.

"I'm your boytoy, be as materialistic as you want," Spike said, winking at Rarity.

"Oh, hush you, you'll make me want to kidnap you."

The two shared a laugh and once more, Spike found himself pulling into the boutique's parking which only consisted of four spots. Stepping out, he rounded the car and opened the door, taking Rarity's hand as she stepped out of the vehicle. Her heels clacked against the pavement as Spike escorted her to her front door. She twisted the key, unlocking the knob before opening the fancy door. Rarity stepped in and turned around, staring directly at Spike.

"Thank you for tonight, Spikey. It was magnificent," she said, setting her coat on the rack next to the door along with her house key.

"Don't mention it, thank _you_ for giving me this opportunity," Spike responded.

The two giggled before calming down, staring at each other silently. Spike examined every part of Rarity's face, etching her appearance into his mind. '_She's dressed like this… for me,'_ he thought.

Suddenly, Rarity's hand gripped his dress shirt just under his bowtie and yanked him inside the house. He heard the door close behind him, presumably Rarity's doing before behind pushed against the door. Two hands slid up his chest as Rarity stood on her toes, pressing her lips into Spike's. The motion shocked him briefly before he closed his eyes, his hands wrapping around her body. He could feel how thin the outfit was and his heart raced even more as he took it in. Rarity's hands came off his chest and wrapped around his wrists and Spike immediately denied what was happening.

'_No. This isn't happening. This is fantasy only. There is no way this can possibly be happening.'_ His mind was reeling with the thoughts, only to go blank and his breathing to start occurring erratically when it did happen.

Rarity's gentle fingers moved his hands, causing his fingers to rest just on her plump, round, soft rear. Her fingers were removed from his wrists and once more she went to caressing his chest as the two kissed. His fingers took a quick, gentle squeeze of the tender flesh and he felt his mind go light as he registered his fingers sinking into the flesh. He repeated this several times before his hands started sliding, squeezing at her plump cheeks. He experimented, pressing them together before something else caught him entirely off guard.

A gentle moan escaped into his mouth and Rarity's lips slightly parted, causing Spike to pause along with her. Their eyes opened halfway as Rarity leaned back briefly before Spike leaned towards her, locking their open lips together. Their tongues met and Spike's mind was beyond denial. If there was any indication the football team was worth it, this was it. His tongue pressed against Rarity's as Spike's hands slid down far enough that he could pull on Rarity's rear. She moaned yet again as their tongues swivelled around each other. Spike could faintly taste whatever Rarity used to sweeten her breath, he could think at the moment to recall what it would be. With a quick motion, Spike spun the two of them around and pressed Rarity's upper back into the door.

He hunched over and ran his hands upwards, slowly over her rear as he pressed into them, getting a feel for the flesh before running them up her back. His fingers glided over her spine, causing Rarity's breaths to come in short intervals. He parted from her lips and before Rarity or even he could register it, Spike moved down and pressed his lips against her neck, suckling on a spot that was far easier to cover up with a strap. Rarity gasped lightly, squeezing her arms around Spike as he licked and sucked at her neck, causing her to bend her fingers, pressing the tips into Spike's back.

"S-Spike, oh my g-god," she said, her voice raspy and high-pitched.

Just as Spike found himself satisfied with where he was suckling, Rarity's hands moved to his chest and gently pushed. Obliging, Spike leaned back, glancing back down at Rarity's neck which now had a dark spot where he left his mark. Staring into her eyes, the two were panting heavily, face an inch from each other.

"T-that was supposed to be my thanks to you for tonight," Rarity said, gulping before returning to her panting.

"It turned into my thanks for you for giving me a shot," Spike retorted with a low, sultry voice.

"You should t-thank me more o-often then, dear," Rarity said, giggling.

Leaning forward, Rarity planted a kiss on Spike's cheek, pressing in. Spike felt a more sweet, innocent pleasure rush forward from that kiss as he rubbed his scalp.

"Well, I should be leaving then," Spike said, stepping back.

"O-of course." Rarity stepped away from the door, opening it as she hid one hand behind her back.

Spike stepped out, adjusting his jacket before stopping next to the driver side door. Turning around, he blew a kiss towards Rarity causing the girl to giggle in response.

"Good night, Spikey-wikey," she said, waving her hand.

"Sleep well, m'lady," Spike said, giving an exaggerated bow.

Her door closed, Spike's opened and he sat himself in the car before buckling in and putting the vehicle in reverse. Backing into the empty road, he drove down the street back towards his home. Pulling into the driveway, he glanced at the clock to see it was merely 9:50. Parking in the garage, Spike retrieved the keys and left the vehicle, making sure the gray door closed. He made his way towards the front door and stepped in, to have Shining Armour, Twilight and his mother waiting for him merely a foot away. He stared awkwardly at the grinning trio while his father was fixated on the TV.

"How did it go?" the trio asked in unison.

Spike's dropped jaw closed as he rolled his eyes, leaning against the doorframe as he tossed the keys towards his father on the couch whom caught it without looking.

"It was a'ight."


	10. Spike's Number(?)

Scootaloo had been right, surprisingly, when she mentioned that Rarity's birthday was coming up soon. Spike overheard Twilight and some of the others talking about it for a good few days before the actual date, and had been dying for an invitation. There was no reason he shouldn't have got one, especially after the fabulous night the two of them had had, but he was still nervous. He was always silent when he heard them discussing it, be it Twilight on her cell phone at home or the group at lunchtime when he would join them. At last though, his invitation came through.

"_Spike, Twilight told you the party starts at seven-thirty, didn't she?_" It was a simple text, indeed, but it sent the boy reeling.

"_No, she didn't mention it. Thursday evening though, right?_" Spike replied, trying not to sound too eager or presumptuous.

"_Yes, that's right. I do hope you'll be there, you're not busy, are you?_" Spike read that over and over until his smile seemed to sink into his cheekbones. She _hoped_ he would be there.

"_Of course I'll be there, I saved the date and everything._" He thought it sounded polite and flattering, so he sent it. "_Who's all invited?_"

"_The usual. Rainbow talked me into inviting the football team, too. Which, I am not opposed to. It's good for us all to come together, don't you think?_" was the response.

"_Yeah, it should be fun._"

Rarity stared at the response time and again. By then, Thursday had arrived, and several of her friends had come over early to help her set up the decorations. Twilight had made a checklist of preparations, snacks, drinks and activities—of course—and was currently going over said inventory. Applejack had helped move most of the stuff out of the boutique, leaving chairs around, especially by the payment counter, where Rarity anticipated snacks and conversation might be held. Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Rarity herself had put up most of the decorations, confirming with guests about times of arrival. Both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had yet to arrive, which was no surprise, seeing as how Rainbow was always late and Pinkie Pie said she had to stop off for some supplies.

Everything was finished in a timely manner, as Twilight had predicted, and the girls were gathered in the kitchen. As Twilight was triple-checking the checklist, Rarity reached into the bottom of her refrigerator and pulled out a tall, simple bottle of champagne. The other girls looked over with surprise as she gartered some champagne flutes from her cupboard and brought them over, aligning them along the counter.

"It was wonderful of you all to come and help out. Perhaps we should have a few drinks, just us girls, before the others arrive," Rarity mused as she removed the wrappings from around a champagne bottle, readying to pop the cork out.

"Thanks but no thanks, Rare," Applejack graciously declined, "Ah gotta drive home after th' party, an' it's a long trip."

"Nonsense, Applejack," Rarity flicked the cork off skilfully, pouring the bubbling liquid into four perfectly portioned glasses. "You can stay in my guest room, no worries, darling."

"Y'mean that?" Applejack asked curiously, hope inflating in her voice. "My, that's very generous o' you."

"Don't mention it," Rarity placed the bottle down beside the glassed as the girls reached out and took them.

Rarity had no reason not to provide Applejack with a means to stay, she was one of the most trustworthy of her friends. If anyone was going to keep it clean and respect the offer, it was Applejack. The four girls raised their shimmering, gold glasses to the light, and smiles were traded among them.

"T' Rarity, an' a fancy-lookin' party," Applejack chuckled, not really knowing a proper way to say it.

"And to a perfectly civilized birthday, spent with my dearest friends," Rarity added, graciously tipping her glass to each friend before they clicked together in the middle.

"Cheers!" was called as they brought the glasses to their lips, taking in the sweet flavour. Everyone but Applejack sighed pleasantly, while the farmer scrunched up her face at the dissatisfying sour, fruity taste, but drank it anyway.

As the glasses were tipped back and light laughter was spread about, a doorbell was heard quite clearly over the quiet boutique. Rarity finished her sip and placed the glass on the counter where she sat, noticing the reddened rim from her lipstick. She hummed lightly as the swallow went down her throat, the bubbling a surprising yet pleasing sensation.

"Oh, that's Pinkie. Right on time," Rarity chimed as he hopped down off the counter, smiling innocently as she went to greet her friend. "Pour a glass for her, will you girls? Should be a nice treat for her. This birthday? This is going to be perfect."

"This is not how I anticipated my party to be." Rarity crossed her arms as she leaned against the entrance to the hallway from the lower floor of the Boutique. "I even dressed up for this."

It was true, she was wearing a beautifully designed outfit, which she herself had made just for this occasion. It was a shimmering, silky blue and sized perfectly, folds of clothing falling breezily over others and ruffling slightly at the thigh. It ran over but one shoulder and tastefully hid anything inappropriate, though it squeezed her around her thin waist and contrasted her large bust.

"You invited Pinkie Pie, you had to know that things would get a little rowdy," Twilight tried to console her, stepping back as Score ran past her without a shirt on, hollering something incoherent.

"I think this has past the point of _a little rowdy_," Rarity sighed out, pursing her lips as she watched it all go on.

She had anticipated a well-intended party, perhaps some dancing and some talking with close friends. However, that was not how the members of the football team, whom she had invited, liked to party. Besides that, the frizzy-haired Pinkie had decided to bring along a few extra decorations, friends, drinks and music mixes, the last of which she blasted over the stereo at maximum volume. The dance floor was crowded and at times turned into something of a mosh pit, though neither Twilight or Rarity dared get near it.

"I hope they don't break anything," Rarity worried, looking at the expensive mannequins sporting her latest designs, which had been moved aside to make way for a beer-pong table set up with some end tables and a hunk of plywood the boys had lugged in from a dumpster nearby.

"I don't think so, I saw Spike going around and collecting most of the valuables earlier," Twilight mentioned proudly, speaking of her brother in a bright light.

"He sure is a sweetheart," she let out a slow sigh, looking around for the boy in question.

The doorbell rung suddenly, and both girls looked at each other to be sure they heard it at all. Immediately following the faint chiming was a rough several raps against her beautiful door, which was louder than the bell. Rarity excused herself from Twilight's company and went to greet whoever it was.

Glancing over at the clock, Rarity noted the time was almost 9:00pm, just past time to be fashionably late. There was only one person who would show up then, someone who had lazed around doing absolutely nothing until the last possible minute.

Rarity opened her door to greet the final guest, only to come face to face with the bored expression of a certain football captain. The girl outside her boutique made a weird, scrunched up face as she looked Rarity up and down, noticing her elegant attire. Garbed with casual ripped jeans and her letterman jacket, she seemed very contrary to the possible dress code. With a snarky scoff, the guest snickered and crossed her arms.

"Shit, was this a _costume_ party?" the brash girl remarked rudely.

"Pleasure to see you too, Rainbow Dash." Rarity blankly replied, accustomed to her obnoxious behaviour by now.

"Happy birthday, you skank," Rainbow stepped in to the boutique without permission and patted Rarity of the shoulder twice. "You seen my girl around?"

"I'm not really certain I should respond to that, but Applejack is in the far corner. By the," Rarity paused and winced as she glanced over at the bunch of mixed drinks that made a mess of her counter. She herself had provided several bottles of the finest champagne, but apparently that had not been enough, as Scootaloo and the Dumbbells had shown up with bags of harder liquor and a cooler full of beer. "_Beverages_."

"Athankya," Rainbow Dash said in an attempt at a classy accept, tipping her pretend top hat as she passed Rarity.

Rainbow spun around on her heel over-zealously and stopped herself, facing the other direction. She easily avoided the stumbling few who muddled up the air with noise and swung herself towards what was once the boutique's checkout counter. An affectionate smile made its way across her face as she saw the girl behind blurry, moving shadows. With a dark bottle in her hand, she was just sitting on a chair at the far end of the counter past most of the drinks, by the beer cooler.

"Sitting by herself with a beer; how very Applejack of her," Rainbow murmured in an amused tone, sneaking through the crowd as she made her way to her target.

Applejack sipped at the mouth of her beer, moving her tongue up and down with each swallow to fully taste each mouthful. Sighing leisurely as she removed it from her lips, Applejack leaned back in her seat. The music was louder than she particularly liked, but she put up with it anyway. What was worse was the noisy, muffled chatter of the crowd, which was engaged in whatever obnoxious party activity they could find.

Arms slid over her shoulders without warning, but she knew immediately who they belonged to, and smiled warmly. Tilting her head to the side to permit Rainbow Dash to rest her chin on her shoulder, Applejack reached up and touched the girl's folded wrists, which came dangerously close to her breasts as usual.

"Hey babe, sorry to keep you waiting," Rainbow Dash spoke close to Applejack's neck, while the girl in her arms rolled her eyes.

"Y'almost had me worried," Applejack joked as she leaned back into the embrace.

"Can I make it up to you?" the football captain asked in a cutesy voice, nibbling at Applejack's earlobe and sucking it.

"Not like that!" Applejack frantically squirmed out of the hold, holding her hand over the now moist spot and blushing madly. Applejack frowned as she noticed the blush in Rainbow's cheeks, and shook her head. "Y'drank b'fore y'came, didn't you?"

"Just one or two," Rainbow pouted as she was found out, grabbing a chair and pulling it right up against Applejack's before hopping onto it. "I didn't know how long I would have to deal with Rarity or her other guests before I could get to you, I needed a means to get through it."

"Right," Applejack chuckled into the mouth of her beer while she reached out with her other hand, grasping a fresh one from the cooler behind the counter. "Here y'go, honey."

"You're the best, AJ," Rainbow jubilantly grabbed it and rubbed her head against Applejack's shoulder like some pet.

"Y'always get 'specially frisky when y'drink, y'know that?" Applejack mentioned as the other girl struggled to twist the cheap cap off, having to use her shirt to do so.

"Is that why you're giving me another?" Rainbow raised her eyebrow suggestively, and Applejack just avoided her gaze.

Rainbow laughed as she poured some beer down her throat, spilling several drops down her chin as she did. Before she could rudely grind the back of her hand against her whole jaw and flick the spilled beer in some random direction, she felt something else touch her lower lip. Rainbow Dash blinked in shock as she realized it was Applejack's thumb, which slowly moved along the fullness of her wetted lip and removed the substance. The two just stared at each other as Applejack pulled away, leaving Rainbow's jaw cold and tingling for further attention.

With a warm and spirited smile, Applejack brought her thumb to her mouth and opened her lips, licking it off her finger easily. Rainbow swallowed as she tried to force the arousal from her mind, the lascivious lechery that boiled to the surface like the heat in her cheeks. It took every ounce of willpower not to tackle her off the seat and take her on the floor right then and there. Applejack's dimples emerged as her crooked smile melted over her features. Rainbow's would-be hard-on subsided as Applejack dropped her gaze and tipped her hat back, tucking her bangs behind her ear, though they didn't stay there.

"Hey, AJ?" Rainbow tilted her head as she stared at her best friend, whose adorably curious expression only helped prove her point. "Has anyone ever told you that, that you're like, really beautiful?"

"What's that now?" Applejack flinched at the compliment.

"I don't mean like fake, dolled up pretty, no made-up movie star crap," Rainbow waved her hand around like she didn't care for any of that, and her eyes settled back on the freckled girl whose hips were so close to her they actually touched. "Like actually gorgeous. Anyone ever told you that?"

"Nah Rainbow, no one." Applejack's eyes fell to her beer solemnly, but she cracked a small smile as she swished it around in the bottle. "Ah reckon that ain't changed, sounds t'me like that's th' beer takin' 'stead o' you."

"...Man, you're right. Not about the beer talking thing, I always think you're hot as fuck. I mean, I really don't say that mushy crap enough." Rainbow chewed on her lip as Applejack hid her face humbly. "I make a lot of jokes towards you, but you and I never really talk about that stuff seriously. Stuff like love and sex."

"Do y'wanna talk 'bout that stuff?" Applejack wondered, her gaze creeping back to the girl who always seemed to command it.

"I don't know, maybe." Rainbow Dash shrugged and continued with her beer, but the way she didn't direct the subject otherwise made Applejack aware that she really _did_ want to talk about it, she was just too proud to ask.

Applejack pondered the topic: it was true, they never seriously talked about it. Rainbow was prone to blurt out obnoxious sexual comments, exclusively to Applejack it seemed, but that was the extent of it. For two girls who were the best of friends, they never really had crushes or conquests to speak of. Resolved to fix the issue, Applejack nodded firmly.

"Al'right. We can do that." The topic seemed awkward and sensitive, but she pressed on. "So, um... when did you know that you were, uh," Applejack cleared her throat to get the last two words out. "A... lesbian?"

"I prefer dyke, actually," Rainbow Dash spoke easily about it, not bothered at all by any conventional insecurity.

"Y'seriously prefer it?" Applejack asked, her eyebrows raising.

"Yeah, it's got this edgy allure to it, you know?" Rainbow grinned and winked again at the girl beside her. "Like me."

"Al'right, al'right," Applejack chuckled and had to agree with the sentiment. She got back to the subject, though. "Well, when did y'know that y'liked girls, any who? Y'only told us all a few years ago. Ah mean, have y'ever, like, kissed one?"

Rainbow hurriedly brought the beer to her lips, stalling her inevitable answer. She didn't want Applejack to think she was inexperienced, everything about the captain screamed casual, and this should have been no different. However, Rainbow Dash had not been interested in that sort of thing, nor other girls seemingly interested in her, and she had been so focused on Applejack and sports and such that it never really came up. Besides, if she told Applejack the truth of her kiss virginity, it might make her more nervous about the touching and flirting between the two of them; she might figure out it actually meant something. As her large gulps concluded, Rainbow figured out that sometimes a lie was easier to say.

"Oh yeah, tons," Rainbow Dash lied through her teeth.

"Ah see." Applejack's face fell in what seemed like disappointment or hurt.

"What about you?" Rainbow Dash leaned over and elbowed her friend several times. "How many guys have you kissed, then?"

"Who, me? Oh, uh," Applejack stammered and hid her face under her hat and the blush that graced her cheeks. "Ah guess none."

"None?" Rainbow Dash was over the moon to hear that out loud at last. But she resisted the urge to cheer or squeal. Instead, she turned the attention onto sexuality as a whole, grinning madly and slapping Applejack on the back roughly. "Well then how the hell do you know that you're straight?"

"Ah... Well Ah dunno, Ah just s'pose that's that, y'know?" The bashful farmer forced a sheepish smile. She posed a similar question to her captain. "Did y'know you were gay b'fore y'kissed anyone?"

"Of course, long before actually. But that's different, Applejack," Rainbow argued certainly, more than just sure of herself. She was adamant, and with gleaming, captivated eyes, she gazed at the girl beside her and spoke with such reverence it was like gospel. "I fell in love."

"In love?" Applejack repeated the words, feeling them swell in her chest. She wasn't sure she wanted to know, but her mouth asked the question anyway. "W-with who?"

"Don't make me say it, AJ!" Rainbow's face lit up, an uncharacteristic fluster taking hold of her.

Applejack didn't know what she meant by that, but assumed it was just a secret she wasn't comfortable sharing. Finishing the last few mouthfuls of her beer to drown out the rest of her questions, Applejack tried to pay attention to what poorly written dance or trance song was blaring in the background. Feeling a hand gently land on her thigh, Applejack peered down to examine it. It clearly belonged to the girl beside her, who patted her twice in the same place before speaking.

"Here, come dance with me." Rainbow Dash scooted back on the chair, scraping the ground loudly with it.

"Why?" Applejack resisted the girl pulling at her. "Ah done told you b'fore, Ah don't like dancin', this ain't my scene."

"Me neither, but tell me," Rainbow paused and smirked as she tilted her head. "Have you ever been dancing before?"

"Well, Ah guess that's a no too," the farmer admitted, biting at her lip nervously.

"Then take my hand, cowgirl," Rainbow's voice was too charming to resist, and Applejack did as she was told.

Applejack's hand found Rainbow's even in the dim lighting, and she allowed herself to be led away from the comfort of her seat. Though the music wasn't particularly slow, it was deep and lulling, and the bass reverberated in their bodies. Rainbow took Applejack's other hand in her own, guiding both of them up to her shoulders and placing them there. There was not a substantial height difference between them, and it was hardly noticeable at all when their eyes were locked. Looking down at the girl so near, Rainbow Dash let her hands fall onto the farmer's defined hips, noticing the thinness of her waist compared to her hard hip bones.

"This feels a little silly," Applejack anxiously whispered, pouting her lips.

"Are you afraid of what people will think?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, tilting her head. "I doubt anyone is paying attention."

"Ah ain't 'fraid'a nothin'," Applejack muttered flatly with a fake serious expression. "But Ah'm dancin' with a girl, ain't that odd?"

"Baby, everything about me is odd," Rainbow grinned and pulled Applejack nearer by her hips, letting her fingers play around on them. "But you love me that way."

Initially, Applejack glanced around nervously, afraid in case people were watching them. But her self-consciousness and uncertainty dissolved as Rainbow Dash leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. A tender smile graced Rainbow's face as she noticed Applejack step nearer without her influence. It felt very odd for them, being silent in each other's company like that, and sharing a moment so intimate. But somehow, it was peaceful and pleasant to just sway back and forth in the darkness. Applejack nudged ever closer, her nose brushing against Rainbow's as her arms slid further behind the girl's back.

Rainbow Dash's hands were for once willing to rest around Applejack, rather than wander for a feel or fondle as they were accustomed to doing. However, under the booming music and inside a warm cocoon of each other's arms, it seemed unlikely Applejack would have pulled away anyway. Rainbow swallowed as her chest pressed up against her other girl's, their quick heart beats running away from the rhythm of the music and eloping between them. The anticipation and desire was killing her, and she matched her words with the synchronized swaying of their meeting hips.

"So, are you still so against things you've never tried?" Rainbow's voice was husky and hushed, though it sailed over the annoyance of noise and tune. Applejack smiled from a mere inch away, her half-lidded eyes focused on the bright pink ones before her.

"You're changin' m'mind." Applejack hummed, feeling some intense fire burning through her whole body.

The freckled girl stepped her trademark boot between Rainbow's feet, closing the distance in heated volition. Her eager lips pressed firmly against Rainbow's at last, a kiss so invited and welcomed blooming from their mouths. It was sudden and longing, passionate and curious, yet neither of the two were surprised by it at all. The position changed as their lips moved between them, plush ruby edges sliding against each other and noticing every moist curve. Forget any trace of alcohol, this contact fluttered in their stomachs and left them light-headed.

As her arms slid fully around Rainbow's neck, Applejack breathlessly sighed a whimsical hum. Their mouths opened and closed on each other again, and their bodies melted together at chest, at hip, at leg. Applejack's fingers combed into the hair on the back of Rainbow Dash's neck, holding them together just those few blissful instances more.

They barely managed to pull themselves apart, their lips still so close they tickled each other with breaths and fantasy revisits. Their eyes opened slowly and met, dim lights gleaming off bright coloured irises and igniting the fire between them once more. Applejack smiled and nibbled at her singing lips, not quite sure how to explain herself to the girl in her arms. Not that Rainbow needed an explanation, the act itself was more than enough, and it thrilled her to no end. Clearing her throat and avoiding Rainbow Dash's excited eyes, Applejack opened her mouth to speak.

"Ah-Ah ain't never kissed a girl before," she admitted as if it was a secret.

Rainbow Dash broke into a wide and sheepish grin, confessing something herself, "Me neither."

"What?!" Applejack pulled back a bit, her surprised eyes widening. She gulped as the weight of her actions seemed to increase. "But, but y'said—!"

"I know. I lied," Rainbow simply and playfully mused, taking Applejack closer by her waist and murmuring right up against her tasty lips. "Now shut up already, I was enjoying that."

Rainbow Dash was the one to initiate their kiss that time, her lips crashing into Applejack's much more furiously. Despite her anxiety and nervousness, Applejack permitted Rainbow's tongue to go so far as to even invade her mouth. Inside the ovular confines of their mouths, tongues vigorously clashed and tangled, mirrored by grasping hands and looping arms.

Applejack's eyebrows dropped worriedly over her closed eyes as she remembered her senses, and she tried to push the girl away. She struggled against the aggression frantically, terrified by the consequences and the concupiscence that stirred within her. Rainbow was resilient and diligent though, and her fingers dropped right into Applejack's jeans, playing with the hem of her undergarments. Applejack tried to vocalize her protests, but they were stifled by Rainbow's mouth. At last, her strong arms managed to make space between the two of them, and their wet lips parted.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow it down there partner." Applejack pried Rainbow's hands off herself clumsily, stepping back and holding her own hands up between them. "We're friends—_best_ friends, tha's all. Your, uh, your constant jokes an' touches, they jus' got me all confused an', an' riled up an' such."

"Nope," Rainbow denied certainly, shaking her head once and stunning Applejack with her bluntness. "Admit it. You're totally into me, and hey, if you want, we can pursue just how far _into_ me you can go."

"A-Ah don't think so," Applejack's voice faltered a bit as she stepped farther away, her eyes nervous and concerned.

"Don't _think_ so? That doesn't sound very convincing, babe." Rainbow followed her easily, her gleaming pink eyes attaching themselves to Applejack's anticipatory gaze. "I can feel it between us just like you can, this, this heated, sexual tension. I know you're just getting used to expressing it, and the struggle is half the fun, right?"

"Ah dunno if Ah like where this is goin'," Applejack murmured as she looked around, feeling behind her for something to place between them to stop this tantalizing attraction.

"Oh, you will," Rainbow cocked her head and grinned, adoring the familiar uncertain expression Applejack adorned. "Come on, AJ, if you didn't want it, you would have pushed me away a long time ago; hell, you wouldn't have been the one to _kiss_ me. But here we are."

Rainbow spoke against Applejack's skin, moving nearer with each syllable. Her words fell against Applejack's neck, her breath sliding down Applejack's shirt and nestling between her breasts. With a forlorn whimper, Applejack passively let Rainbow's hands to dust her shoulders and spine. Rainbow's fingers traced one side of Applejack's neck as she lightly kissed her, feeling the farmer swallowing her inherent protests for the satisfaction of pleasure. She pulled back to judge Applejack's reaction, smiling wider as she felt the girl's tentative hands on her own body.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Rainbow asked easily, brushing Applejack's hair over her shoulder and pressing their lower regions closer, their buttons and hips nearing.

This was different than the usual joking, this was very, very real. Applejack was so overwhelmed in fact that she just stood there staring, with her mouth hanging agape and her heart rate increasing with each passing second. It felt entirely serious when no one else was watching, when it didn't feel like just an act, when Applejack hesitated in pushing her away. The farmer's eyes widened as she felt Rainbow's hand slip lower, her intent gaze holding Applejack still. Rainbow's hand gripped at Applejack's belt buckle, firmly taking it and yanking the girl closer. Their lips met once more, and it was stuffed right up with desire.

Applejack briefly and passionately returned it, captivated by the act so completely she could hardly restrain herself. But at last, she found her moderation and her chastity, and knew what was best. She did not, however, know the best way to stop it. Too taken with Rainbow to summon the will to merely push her away or ask her to stop, she responded violently with a hard slap across the face. Rainbow Dash immediately ceased her actions and took a step back, holding her stinging cheek with a look of shock across her face.

"S-sorry, Ah'm so sorry, honey," Applejack forced much effort into resisting the urge to kiss the wound better, her mind just set on their lips more than ever before. She shook her head furiously and hid her eyes behind her hand. "Ah just, Ah need to be alone, for a while," she swallowed as her voice began to crack, her heart banging at her chest as she imagined Rainbow Dash following her to a more private location. "Ah'll be upstairs—alone, in the guest room. _Alone_."

Rainbow Dash was completely stunned silent as Applejack rushed past her, still unable to look her in the eyes. She turned to watch the girl retreat, and her hand dropped back to her side. She wasn't angry or anything, even though it was common of her to be, as she knew she deserved such a hit for pushing her friend like that. Sighing slowly, she stared at the hallway that Applejack had darted down, wishing she would come back.

There was a harsh emptiness that Rainbow felt, and the frown on her face seemed to have been carved in. It wasn't like she expected anything else, Applejack always swatted away her advances whether she did actually like them or not. But she could not stop thinking about the kisses they had shared, and her lips tingled to remember the way Applejack had kissed her right back. And further, something was bothering her about the way Applejack spoke.

Hanging her head a bit and feeling utterly alone in the room full of cheery party-goers, Rainbow furrowed her brow and glared at her feet. Alone. Applejack had repeated that word over and over right before she left, and something about the way she said it sounded sad or pleading. Rainbow knew where Applejack was now, probably pacing around the guest room. That's right, Applejack had told Rainbow where she could find her, and told her that she would be alone. All _alone_.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash realized that those words did not sound much like a warning or something to keep her away, it sounded more like an _invitation_.

Her feet carried her before she consciously allowed it, breaking into a sprint down the hallway and up the stairs. She had not spent much time in Rarity's boutique, but from what little she knew, she could navigate her way to the guest room. There was a chain and sign warning people to stay out on the way up the stairs, but Rainbow leapt over it without any trouble at all. She paused in front of the second guest room, the first being Sweetie Belle's, her heart racing with adrenaline and anticipation. This time, she would find out for certain how Applejack felt. She would let Applejack know just how she felt.

Her hand touched the doorknob, and with a quiet turn, she realized that it was unlocked. Which was strange, considering the door did appear to lock, and Applejack had appeared to have wanted to keep anyone out. Rainbow swallowed her nerves and replaced them with determination, with lust and with courage, stepping into the doorway.

Rainbow Dash leaned against the door, pushing it slowly in. Right across the empty room from her, was Applejack. She just sat there in this armchair, staring at the door almost expectantly. There was something in her gaze that Rainbow Dash could not define, some alluring intense look that drew her nearer. Rainbow Dash closed the door by leaning against it, and without turning around, she locked it behind her back.

Unbridled, the football captain came across the room slowly, her eyes locked firmly on Applejack's and her steps quiet yet earnest. She stopped right in front of the farmer, the two of them dwelling in the silence as their expressions did the talking. Too excited to stop herself, Rainbow Dash moved forwards once more.

Applejack squeezed at the armrests nervously as her friend climbed onto the chair, pressing her pale fingers into the headrest and licking at her lips. Feeling the uneasiness rise from her stomach into her throat, Applejack shifted in the chair, hearing the leather whine and groan under her similarly responsive body. Rainbow Dash's knees came around her own, one by one, and moved up until she was straddling the apprehensive farmer. Their warm laps met between them in the seat, and Rainbow Dash's hands dropped onto her friend's tense shoulders.

"Dash," Applejack warned dangerously, her eyebrows low and serious on top of her narrowed yet curious gaze. Her friend's hands trailed lower, drawing wrinkles into the blouse on her arms until she found those still gripping, rough hands.

Under the inquisitive stare of her best friend, Rainbow Dash pried her stiff hands off the leather chair, noticing the indentations of her fingers in the fabric as they lingered before reshaping. The rainbow-haired jock held Applejack's shaking and hot hands, slowly guiding them onto her own body, sliding them down until they were positioned right on the curvature of her waist. Applejack swallowed and did her best to keep her erratic heart from pounding hard enough to hear, slowing her breathing as Rainbow Dash's hands left her own to freely wander, if so they pleased.

Resting one hand onto Applejack's highest stomach muscle, the nearest that was to her chest, Rainbow Dash leaned closer and slipped her remaining free fingers across the freckled cheeks of her best friend. Applejack's eyes grew wide with fear or uncertainty as Rainbow Dash moved closer, and she pushed her back harder against the permissive plush of the cushions around her. Her cowboy hat tipped back at the rear brim was pressed into the chair, and it lifted off her head a bit.

Her fingers dribbled and drummed over Rainbow Dash's waist, noticing the strength of her own body though it was contained in such a slender package. The heat between their thighs and laps was unbearably tantalizing, and some reckless edge of Applejack pleaded for it to continue. As Rainbow Dash's lips neared hers, she flinched, feeling the very real rounds of her breasts brushing against her own. Her body went cold to realize the seriousness and reality of the situation: her female best friend was coming onto her; hard. And what was worse, she was allowing it. Even enjoying it.

"_Stop_," Applejack managed to say, though it was harsher and louder than she intended. To match the outburst, she shoved Rainbow Dash right off of her, jumping to her feet and hurriedly taking three steps further from the girl. "S-Stay away from me."

"Why?" Rainbow Dash asked simply, tilting her head as she examined the clear flushing in her friend's cheeks and the anxiety in her movements. "Your lips say one thing, but your body is telling me something very different."

"Quit talkin' 'bout my body!" Applejack snapped worriedly, tensing up again and shielding herself from the usually flattering gaze of her best friend.

"I'll do more than talk about it," Rainbow Dash clarified as her determination brimmed.

"What!?" The frantic farmer squeaked out uncharacteristically as her friend advanced again, closing the distance in a matter of instants. Rainbow Dash snatched her arms up from her side and yanked her close, holding her trembling and struggling wrists beside her head. Applejack pulled back, but was terrified at just what strength her best friend actually had. "Lemme go! I ain't interested!"

"You're a horrible liar, Applejack!" Rainbow Dash argued, turning them around and fighting her defiance.

Applejack tried again to push her away, but connected by forceful hands she was pulled after her friend. Too focused on the feud between them, they failed to notice the corner of that same leather chair that tripped them and sent them tumbling to the ground. Applejack landed on top of her aggressor, and hurriedly tried to climb off, only to be forced to the side and dominated once more. With the same show of will, Applejack toppled over her friend and the two rolled over the rough carpeted ground, which burned and scraped them in their violent wrestling match. Somewhere in the fuss Applejack's hat was knocked off, and sat calmly, upside-down and crooked, as the two girls argued physically.

Rainbow Dash dug her knees into the carpet, heedless of the protesting grind of fabric against flesh, and managed to keep her balance atop her best friend. She grabbed the folds of fabric on the chest of the farmer and lifted her off the ground, only to slam her back down and hold her there. The force of the hit stalled Applejack, and for a moment she almost gave way. Applejack kicked and shook around underneath Rainbow Dash, only managing to rearrange her legs so one of them was free. Despite the struggling, Applejack realized that Rainbow Dash was actually matching her in brute force. And that terrified her.

"When'd y'get so strong?!" Applejack asked hysterically, grabbing at her friend's wrists and trying to pry them off of her shirt.

"I'm the captain of the damn football team, AJ, of course I'm strong!" Rainbow Dash argued as she fought to keep her victory, shifting the weight of her lower body and slipping one of her knees between the farmer's legs.

Applejack groaned loudly before she consented to do so, overwhelmed by the sudden rush she got from feeling her body so close to another's. Raising one eyebrow, Rainbow Dash keenly picked up on Applejack's turmoil and let slip a devious grin. Applejack managed to crawl and scoot another pace away, but by then Rainbow Dash was more obstinate than ever to keep on her, and she did just that. Sliding her leg between her friend's firmer, she ground her thigh against the most tender and intimate part of Applejack's body.

"W-What're y'doin'?" Applejack groaned again, letting words escape her in a husky and breathless voice. Rainbow Dash gripped Applejack's shirt tighter, pulling her down against her aggression and noticing how the fabric closed around her curves and told more of her body.

Rainbow Dash's lips pressed against Applejack's, a forceful and furious rebellion Applejack's only defence. The farmer's cowboy boots abraded the carpet beneath her, and her now terribly distracted mind found it difficult to determine how to escape, if that was truly what she wanted at all. Again, Applejack squeezed her eyes shut and whined against the pressure applied between her legs, the seduced moan allowing Rainbow Dash access to the hot space between her lips. Rainbow Dash's tongue tussled with her own, though she could not consciously banter with it vocally or physically at that moment.

Applejack released her useless hold on the unbeatable grip of the hands locked on her collar, and instead reached up to grab the fabric of her foe's clothing. Her hands came around to the football captain's back, her shoulder blades defined and raised due to her commanding position. Though Applejack's trembling fingers first paused to touch or trace the lines of Rainbow Dash's body, her fingers dug against her shirt and squeezed as if to pull her off, or as if to make it seem so.

As another repressed growl escaped Applejack's throat, Rainbow Dash removed her meddlesome tongue and tasted the farmer inside her own mouth. Allowing the breathless girl beneath her to gasp fresh air once more, Rainbow Dash leaned closer and kissed the side of her jaw, nuzzling her limp head a fraction to the side. But quick to notice Rainbow Dash's grip loosen, Applejack readily released her hold on the jock's shirt and grabbed at her hands, managing to remove them from her shirt.

However, in her euphoric state, Applejack's attempt to get free was easily outmanoeuvred and ended with her hands getting pinned down above her head. Rainbow Dash cocked her head in interest as she watched Applejack ball up her fists and try to break out of the hold. She squeezed tighter on the farmer's wrists until she winced, then leaned back down to graze her body with her own. Following an earnest and passionate sigh that Applejack tried to hide with more struggling, Rainbow Dash haughtily ground herself against her friend, noticing the subtle way she squeezed her legs around the prompted invasion.

"You like that, AJ?" Rainbow Dash pruriently whispered her hot breath against her friend's ear, feeling the resistance give way for a mere fraction of a second before it was forced back.

"A-Ah, Ah just," Applejack tried her best to summon a coherent sentence, but all that seemed to escape was stammered syllables in her now flustered accented voice.

"Mhmm?" The football captain pushed harder against her to summon a reaction or response, which was another throaty moan from the farmer's parted lips. "Is that a yes?"

Rainbow Dash lowered herself against Applejack, sliding her own leg deeper between those of the girl on the ground. While her freckled friend was lost in ecstasy, the rainbow-haired girl pressed her lips close against her neck, letting her tongue emerge and touch tickled flesh. Defying Applejack's squirms and whimpers, Rainbow Dash slid her tongue teasingly slowly along the run of her neck, leaving a slick, wet line of saliva in its wake. Applejack leaned her head back as if to pull away, but doing so only permitted her friend's invasive tongue to travel longer across her shivering skin. The cool air breezed along Applejack's now damp throat and gave her a ripe shiver, which did not go unnoticed by the now grinning girl who loomed near above.

Applejack's palms spread submissively wider against the ground as Rainbow's hands slipped into hers, mutually mingling with the sensitive lines and spaces, soothing her calloused skin. Their lips were together again, and the kissing was fervent and brash, commanding and forceful. Rainbow Dash only pulled back to bite at the farmer's plump lips, holding the lower one between her teeth and sucking at it until her delighted hum seemed too pleased to be fun to tease. Feeling the girl beneath her relinquish most of her defiance and inhibitions, the football captain eased up on the harassment, only to replace it with ravishment.

Rainbow Dash's fingers set to work examining the toned body of a girl she had long since admired, her adventurous touching folding and wrinkling the malicious clothes that kept her from the satisfaction of skin on skin. Applejack's body raised in response to the sensations, and another grateful sigh breached moist and throbbing lips, allowing their tongues to touch once more and coat each other with sweet savoury flavour. Rainbow Dash sat upright over her friend, breathing hard as their saliva hung wet on their lips.

"Still going to play hard to get?" Rainbow Dash murmured through a cocky smirk, noticing the lascivious lust spreading through Applejack's gaze.

Instead of a cognitive response, Applejack threw her arms around Rainbow Dash's neck, pulling her back into a passionate and violent kiss. Rainbow Dash's hands hit the ground hard, feeling the carpet grinding between her fingers as she tried to keep her balance through the demanding needs of the girl below her. She did not need any more affirmation than that, and greedily began coating her fingers with the inside fabrics of her best friend's clothes, burying her fingers between buttons and under untucked shirt tails.

Applejack forced her up onto her knees and hungrily furthered the kiss, grabbing Rainbow Dash's jaw and forcing it open to permit her own tongue-twisting tussle. Her rushed and rash hands snatched the collar of Rainbow's letterman jacket, dragging it over her shoulders and ripping it off her arms, tossing the meaningless thing in a heap by the chair. Feeling rather outdone and driven by her sudden upright position, Rainbow Dash finished the transition by clambering to her feet and tugging the surprised farm girl after her.

They trod and turned in the frantic and amorous exchange, grabbing at each other and squeezing like the rest of the world threatened to pry them apart. Rainbow Dash hummed and snickered against the conquered girl melting in her hands, loving each degree of her skin, each round of her lips and dip of her body clashing between the two of them. Her devilish influence was inescapable, and Applejack willingly gave in to her ambitions.

Rainbow Dash slammed Applejack's back against the wall, the accompanying _thud_ loud enough to rattle the pictures along the walls. Applejack hissed in pain but did not make to protest, allowing the continuing brutality to squeeze her young bones against her friend's. Buttons fell apart around her before Applejack even noticed, and her blouse sprung open to reveal her only partially covered chest, hidden beneath a bra and flimsy tank top.

Kisses replaced and outdid the warmth of fabric as Rainbow Dash pressed against the freckled farmer at her fingertips, kissing, licking and biting at every familiar or new turn and touch she could find. Applejack huffed and heaved as her chest rose against the assertive antagonism, loving the rowdy conflict that burned their bodies together. Before she could get comfortable against the wall, the enthralled jock ripped her from its comfort and yanked her over to the bed.

The farmer was winded as she landed on the firm mattress, the weight of Rainbow Dash knocking the air clean from her lungs and she pressed her back into the covers. Grabbing and tugging at the blanket to give her enough grip to move further onto it, Applejack crawled backwards until the both of them managed to fit onto the bed. Of course, through their aggressive stirs and strips they nearly fell off two or three times before they got the sense of the sheet-covered boundaries.

With two soft sounds of objects colliding with carpet, Rainbow Dash's shoes hit the floor after being mercilessly kicked off by her own earnest will. Despite the trouble of doing so, she even managed to peel her socks off while still keeping the upper hand with her partner. Rainbow Dash held Applejack against the bed with nothing but a firm hand and a daringly desiring gaze, dipping nearer again to experience the flavour of now reddened lips.

Applejack's hands ran through her aggressor's hair, mixing the various colours between her fingers with all seemed so much brighter from within her reach. The captain's tumultuous digits danced over the freshly conquered body of her most intimate of rivals, frantically memorizing every sensation as if it was all too glorious to hold for long. The normally competitive farm girl was more than thrilled to surrender, though her worrisome and rational mind made several troublesome protests to save her friendship or her innocence.

The feverish collision was dragged across the bed by arguing limbs, each incited to feel all those secretive angles left out of the limits of usual comradery. Between hefty breaths and stifled groans, Rainbow Dash sat upright at a shortage of breath, straddling the huffing farmer. Rainbow's eyes affixed themselves on her friend's chest, which rose and fell between them and begged for acknowledgement.

Grasping at the front of Applejack's thin shirt, Rainbow Dash squeezed the fabric until it tightened over her knuckles, capturing the attention of her prey. Provoking the hands of Applejack to reach up and take hold of her own hardened grip, Rainbow Dash lifted her friend barely off the bed, the football captain's slender body aching for more. A salacious and mischievous grin crawled across her cheeks, made all the more excitingly terrifying by widened eyes, captivated by arousal and set only on Applejack. The flustered farmer gawked in awe at the devoted and focused expression of her friend, identifying the same need that boiled up in herself to be ever nearer.

Baring her teeth aggressively, Rainbow Dash leaned back down and shifted her weight on Applejack. She violently pulled and pried at the thin shirt, wishing to just eat it off of her friend's elusive chest if so she needed to do. Rainbow Dash's mouth touched Applejack's chest and she bit at the hem of her shirt, tearing it just enough to allow her vicious hands to rip the rest of it asunder all the way down Applejack's body.

"Dammit, Rainbow!" Applejack yelped in a quiet hiss as she shielded herself, feeling utterly vulnerable under her lecherous stare. "Was that necessary?!"

"Don't act like you don't like it," Rainbow Dash murmured into Applejack's freckles as she pressed her lips against the smooth skin of her chest, her shoulders arching above her.

Rainbow Dash ripped Applejack's modest hands off her sizeable chest and began mercilessly fondling, immediately slipping her small hands under the bra and squeezing the plush rounds. Applejack huffed in shock but said no protest, letting her chest rise and fall, holding Rainbow's hands in place with the tightness of her bra. Her adept fingers easily found Applejack's rising nibbles, and she pinched at them hard while her open palms caressed her breasts. Another stifled groan rang out, but Applejack tried to hold it in by grabbing at the girl on top of her.

Feeling restrained by the bra, Rainbow Dash shoved it up over Applejack's breasts, revealing the sight to her mesmerizing gaze. Her fingers dragged roughly along the flesh of the girl beneath her, and her mouth found its way all over her chest. Rainbow Dash grinned greedily at the way her supple bosoms bounced agreeably with each shove and release. Pressing herself against the farmer, the rainbow-haired girl trembled just to imagine how far she wanted to go.

"You make me so fucking hot," Rainbow moaned as she viciously squeezed and gnawed at the closest parts, before shoving herself into sitting upright and clumsily grabbing at her shirt.

Applejack stared in awe as Rainbow pulled her shirt over her head, her thin stomach seeming all the more delectable as her bra peeked out at last. But she did not stop there. Without bothering to reach back and undo it, she tugged her bra over her head and flung it in some random direction, exposing herself to the curious and intrigued farmer between her legs. While she was otherwise occupied, Applejack hurriedly pulled the remnants of her own top off, undoing her bra and sending it to oblivion with Rainbow's.

They clashed in the middle once more, hands and mouths pressing against anything within reach, unrestricted and unstoppable. Their heated skin met all along their chests and midsections, pressing body against body to feel each curve for certain. The world around them seemed to spin as they rolled back and forth over the bed, too preoccupied with their endeavours to notice much who was on top of whom.

Applejack felt her back press into the folds of covers again, only to whimper pleadingly as Rainbow Dash pulled back the littlest bit. Rainbow peered down at their entangled legs, finding the sight interesting enough to touch. While holding herself up with her left hand on Applejack's breast and her lips closed around her nipple, she slid her hand down the strong body of her friend. It did not take but a few seconds to negotiate her fingers under the defiant belt and into her jeans, though she was blocked from her target by the grip of the belt and the thin fabric of her underwear.

Instinctively struggling against the invasion, Applejack found herself incapable of pulling Rainbow's hand out of where it seemed to belong. Rainbow Dash fed the nipple between her teeth as she licked and sucked at the plush beasts at her disposal, treating it with gluttonous reverence and adoration. Snickering at the whines and huffs Applejack made in her defence, Rainbow Dash incessantly stroked and spread her fingers along lines and curves she wanted to memorize.

"AJ, I love your tight pants, but do you mind if I make a little room?" Rainbow Dash murmured into her hot flesh as she slipped lower down Applejack's body, leaving invisible kisses and licks most of the way down.

"Room for what?" Applejack asked breathlessly as Rainbow Dash's other hand made its way to her pants, undoing her belt and flinging it astray, only to follow after with the metallic button.

"This," Rainbow revealed with action rather than explanation, unzipping the zipper with the back of her wrist as she pressed her hand farther between the farmer's legs.

A moan rose from Applejack's throat before she could contain it, summoned by the enthralling pleasure that came from something so simple as a foreign finger or two. Her body responded quickly to the instrumental playings of Rainbow Dash, who was galvanized by the vocal musings made all the more endearing through Applejack's adorable accent, which prevailed in her groans. Rainbow Dash dipped her fingers in deeper, tilting her head at the reaction she got as her other fingers spread the girl below her farther apart.

It was so wet down there that Rainbow Dash could not stand the thought of losing a drop to the absorption of fabric, and heedlessly began tugging the jeans off of the farmer. She grabbed both the pants and the underwear, sliding it roughly down her legs until Applejack herself reached down and folded her hands over her most private of areas, holding her pants barely over the spot. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and displayed a promiscuously crooked smile, pursing her lips as she thought up something to say.

"What, are you shy?" She asked curiously, snickering at the prospect.

"No!" Applejack denied furiously, though her movements betrayed such a statement. "Ah'm just cold."

"Oh, I'll keep you warm," Rainbow Dash promised as she broke the fabric out of Applejack's hands, pulling it down further as her eyes flickered up menacingly. Applejack grunted anxiously as she reached down to undo her boots to make it easier to pull of her jeans, but Rainbow Dash stopped her. "No, leave those on. I like them."

Applejack accepted her wishes and pulled one leg out of the jeans, letting Rainbow pull them down her other leg and leave them half hanging on to the boot. Rainbow Dash was far too focused on her goal to care what became of the jeans, but Applejack merely kicked her foot and let them fall off. Rainbow's pants came down around her ankles, and she violently and clumsily knocked them off bit by bit. Lunging back at the lips of the girl beneath her, Rainbow Dash heard herself moan erotically as their legs entwined much more freely.

Reaching heedlessly and without permission between their legs, Rainbow Dash positioned her hand against Applejack's still very wet sex. She loved feeling it on her fingers, so much so that she began to coat her hand with the still seeping moisture from fingertip to palm. Her furious and curious motions stimulated constant sighs and songs from Applejack, who was more than happy to mirror the motions of Rainbow's fingers with her tongue, licking and kissing her captain devotedly.

Though reluctantly, Rainbow Dash pulled away from Applejack in hopes of tasting ever so much more of her. The farmer's eyes opened slowly and fluttered ecstatically as Rainbow again sat upright on top of her. As she moved her invasive fingers, their loins met once more and brought satisfaction to both parties. Applejack watched attentively as Rainbow brought her hand to her mouth, which opened to reveal the tongue that Applejack had gotten to know so well as of late.

Rainbow Dash had no trouble, in fact she was ecstatic, with pressing her now wet fingers against her lips, opening her whole hand against her face. She hummed lovingly as she lapped at the smooth liquid, sucking at her fingers and looping her tongue between them. No longer able to resist, Applejack sat up and joined in, wrapping her agile tongue around Rainbow's fingers and taking one or two into her mouth. Their now wet lips met and flirted between dripping fingers, slick lines of saliva or other moistures spreading nearly invisible lines between them as they came apart and together again and again.

Though the flavour proved to be an aphrodisiac, their lips found each other more satisfying and their kissing returned more furious than ever. Rainbow's still wet hand dropped onto Applejack's chest, slipping down and leaving a cool, glimmering print against her skin. Teeth, lips, skin and tongues collided intermittently as they laid back down on the bed, Rainbow Dash forcing Applejack to remain on her back.

Without warning, Rainbow Dash slipped inside Applejack again, drawing a pleasing moan out of the young farmer's usually smooth and low voice. Their hot breathing mingled and danced between them and grew steadily more rapid as Rainbow worked harder and harder to achieve the desired effect. Applejack bit back more aggressive groans and arched her back on the bed, permitting Rainbow Dash to slip and arm underneath her midsection and rise her lightly freckled stomach to her lips. Kissing the warm, silky skin, Rainbow felt Applejack's twitching body in her arms.

Applying pressure to her clitoris, Rainbow Dash increased the volume of Applejack's erratic shouts, though the modest farmer stifled them with shaky hands and pillow corners. Rainbow nibbled at her subject's hips and navel, but found it difficult to focus as a dull, steady beat could be heard through the wall. With a monotonous hum, Rainbow pulled back slightly and listened more carefully, still hearing the annoying pounding. Applejack peered down pleadingly, but blinked as she heard the same odd noise.

It was a continuous thudding, like something was hitting the wall behind them over and over again. Rainbow Dash growled suddenly and sat up, knocking Applejack into a much less comfortable position as she did. She slammed her fist against the wall three times, knocking loudly towards the direction of the noise. Applejack's eyes went wide as her friend opened her mouth, and she was too slow with telling her to be quiet.

"Hey!" Rainbow barked angrily, knocking again and again until the other noise paused. "Enough with the banging! I'm trying to get my own rhythm going here!"

"Rainbow!" Applejack squeaked in a hush quite bashfully as her face went bright red.

"With that settled," Rainbow Dash dropped back onto Applejack and yanked her down the bed another foot or so, surprising the already baffled girl enough to make her squirm.

"Ack! Rainbow what're y'doin'?!" Applejack gasped and kicked a bit as she lost her balance.

The covers slipped out from underneath Applejack at once, and Rainbow Dash hadn't even noticed how close they were to the edge of the bed until they were falling right off of it. They hit the ground clumsily as the remaining blankets fell over them, only to be knocked away. Rainbow Dash perked up as the corner of some fold hung over half of her face. She shook her head and let it fall behind her, keeping her cool the whole while.

"Now, where was I?" As she shimmied further and further between Applejack's legs, her smile grew wider. "Oh, I remember. I was right... about..." she paused for dramatic effect, her daringly enticing eyes flickering up to the anxious expression of her friend. "_Here_."

Rainbow Dash fondly licked along Applejack's ripe slit, taunting her with the slow and precise muscle. An uncontrollably aroused moan escaped Applejack before she consciously could silence herself. Her hands gripped her blonde hair harshly, trying to express herself in a less vocal and potentially incriminating manner. As Rainbow Dash's tongue twirled around her most sensitive parts, Applejack found herself utterly intent on feeling every turn and twist. It drove her mad, not just the sensations she experienced, but that those very captivating movements against her most intimate of areas could only be attributed to Rainbow Dash. Feeling her best friend finally taking responsibility for all those dirty, flirtatious words sent her reeling.

Applejack actually had to look down to be certain of what Rainbow was doing to her, the feelings all so foreign and strange, yet pleasing nonetheless. Her half-lidded eyes stared adoringly into the eyes of the girl between her legs, who could not get enough of watching Applejack squirm. To keep her from bucking her too hard while she worked, Rainbow slipped an arm under her thigh and reached around, picking one leg up onto her shoulder and holding it there with her arm. Applejack's hard leather boot scraped against her back, but the mild pain actually aroused her even more.

Raising her head up just a mere inch or so, Rainbow Dash moved her free hand to her lips, letting her tongue trace it before taking a finger or two fully into her mouth. Applejack watched on, hypnotized by the confident strokes painted over her. Applejack's breath was halted as the invasive pressure was reapplied inside of her, and deep. Curiously, Rainbow drove in and out, turning and curling to reach the farthest ends and the most stimulating ridges or rounds. As a means to expose the shy nub, Rainbow gently sucked on the girl's clitoris, even doing so far as to greet it with her teeth.

The taste was so gloriously Applejack's that Rainbow Dash could not dream of getting enough, and proceeded to lick along her fingers each time they emerged. She lapped at the few drops that slid down into her palm from the way she had it turned upwards, and she creased it as her thumb moved to replace the work her tongue had been performing on her clitoris. Rainbow's hard and constant work had made Applejack shift more upright against the bedside table, which was at her back since they had fallen to the ground. Against her tongue and her fingers, Rainbow Dash could feel some brimming completion she had been striving for, and it drove her on.

Humming and musing her satisfaction, Applejack reached down and ran her hand over Rainbow's head, her fingers gliding through the girl's hair. Rainbow Dash paused in the duties of her lips to meet her loving and grateful gaze, something that struck her to see. Applejack's hand slipped over her heated, smooth cheek and tingled sensually, running down her neck so very carefully it felt like nothing less than dedication and fidelity. Invigorated by the expression, Rainbow jumped up abruptly and kissed the girl, lodging her fingers deeper inside with the force of her movements.

Against the back of her hand, Rainbow's own sex ground up to the intercourse, her knuckles pressing hard between sensitive regions with each flick and dip. Applejack took hold of Rainbow by her delicately pale cheeks and neck, her palms spreading over her visage and throat as the kiss deepened between them. With an amorous sigh, Applejack leaned against her lover, allowing the smaller girl to wrap her free arm behind her and keep her ever closer. Rainbow squeezed the object of all her covetous desire, their breasts and stomachs pressing together like forcing two perfect puzzle pieces together.

A greater flow of liquids was exchanged between them that was not rudely remarked upon, just enjoyed and shared. Rainbow continued passionately kissing the freckled girl she embraced and ravaged, long past a time she could have easily stopped. Applejack's now trembling hands rounded Rainbow's thin waist and danced over the grinding of her hips. It was rough and unrefined, unrestrained and furious, but it was love, and they loved it like that.

Despite filling the evening with kisses and fondles, Applejack could not seem to get quite enough of the girl she had finally succumbed to, even long after they had stopped. She stared at her lover carefully, brushing her hair behind her ear and trailing her fingers down the girl's pale body. The hours were lost now, the daylights forgotten and the troubles defeated, spent between bodies and souls.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes again and looked at Applejack, shifting against the bed they had since returned to. The two had been silent for some time, yet voices seemed quiet after their earlier deeds. She could feel sensations still lulling her as Applejack's fingers took the liberty of adventuring and memorizing each intimate turn of Rainbow's form. The touches seduced a question from the football captain, whose voice was raspy and never hushed.

"What are you doing, AJ?" Rainbow Dash asked with an amused laugh, watching Applejack's hands peruse her body intently.

"Feelin' you," Applejack mused pleasantly, quite taken with the now familiar body of her best friend. Her eyes widened suddenly and she sat up, recoiling her hands self-consciously. "Wait, is that not okay? Am Ah allowed t'do that?"

"Of course you're allowed! I was enjoying it." Rainbow Dash guffawed at Applejack's awkwardness, grabbing her hands and placing them back where they had been. "I know what this is, Applejack. I'm okay with just staying friends, I know that you can't just suddenly turn gay or whatever. But that doesn't mean you can't touch me if you want."

"Do y'think I feel like that?" Applejack asked curiously, noticing the pain in her friend's voice though she was desperate to hide it. "Honey, Ah don't jus' sleep with anyone. Ah jus' don't really know much 'bout casual stuff, an' all you prob'ly wanted was a screw, so—"

"Fuck that!" Rainbow grabbed Applejack's hands again and stared right into her eyes. "Applejack, I don't want a fling. I want to be with you. I just don't want you to pretend you like me just because we fucked."

"_Pretend_ t'like you? Shut yer little vixen mouth," Applejack growled as she squeezed Rainbow's hands. "Ah ain't here for a fling neither. Ah like you just fine—more than fine, Ah like you lots. Shoot Rainbow, Ah was th' one who kissed _you_, r'member?"

"So, like," Rainbow started as she tried in vain fight back the grin that threatened her face. She cleared her throat to try and sound more serious or prepared. "You want to go out with me?"

"Ain't you s'pose t'ask that b'fore we go t'bed together?" Applejack chuckled a bit before responding. "Yea', Ah wanna go out with you."

"Awesome," Rainbow Dash could not think of anything better to say.

She let out a comfortable sigh and turned onto her back, exposing herself to the curious eyes of Applejack. Rainbow Dash looked up at her lover admiringly, her smile playing on her lips interminably. Applejack met her gaze, and the two laid in easy silence for a few more seconds, marked with particularly adoring expressions. Rainbow broke into a grin and tipped her head back in reverence, remembering everything that had transpired between them.

"Man, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world." Rainbow Dash hummed with a healthy glow in her cheeks, which had almost started to hurt from all the smiling she had been doing.

"Glad y'admit it," Applejack teased playfully, leaning over and kissing her right on the lips.

Rainbow gladly returned it, pressing her body against the farmer and entwining her fingers into her lightly tangled golden locks. It was gloriously satisfying, just being able to kiss each other so freely as they did, after all that push and pull, all that tension and yearning. As they drew apart, a more mischievous smirk returned to Rainbow's face.

"So, you want to go again?" she winked, not even feeling the need to find a clever way to phrase it.

"Already? What's that, th' third time?" Applejack made a face and chuckled a bit, ruffling Rainbow's hair fondly. "You're a manic, y'know that?"

"Is that a no?" Rainbow asked slowly, her eyebrow raising in mild disbelief.

Applejack pursed her lips and pondered her answer. Finding no way to possibly turn it down, she simply responded, "Not exactly."

The two giggled as they fell into each other's arms once more, their bodies rolling over the messy bed and tangling in the sheets. Lips were together again, and hands knew better now the best spots to tease and taunt. Applejack yelped once or twice as Rainbow Dash greedily bit at her and sucked on her skin, her agile fingers already well on their way to their destination. Rainbow proceeded to lick at the crook of Applejack's neck, turning her head to face the distant and dark window, which was frosted on the outside and steamed on the inside. A drop or two slipped down the transparent surface as the two changed positions and their laughter turned to erotic sighs.

_Hours earlier..._

Glancing down at her phone and watching the colon blink between the hours and moments, Rainbow Dash noticed the time was just about 9:00pm. She was late, as usual, but she didn't really care. It was just a silly birthday party anyway, Rarity wouldn't hold it against her certainly. Besides, she already knew that Applejack was there waiting for her, she always was. Rainbow cleared her throat and the dumb, lovestruck smile from her face, tapping her foot as if she was annoyed.

She swayed a bit on the step boredly as she waited for an answer, but made no move to knock again just yet; the last one had been loud enough for sure. It was somewhat cold out, even since she had dipped her hands into her jacket and pressed it against herself. At last, the door opened, revealing a very formally dressed Rarity. Rainbow caught the chortle before it breached her lips, trying to put on a more respectful face. She couldn't resist teasing the girl, though.

"Shit, was this a _costume_ party?" Rainbow said in a cheeky tone.

"Pleasure to see you too, Rainbow Dash." Rarity resisted to urge to roll her eyes, and Rainbow didn't even notice.

"Happy birthday, you skank," Rainbow Dash barged into the door and slammed her hand onto Rarity's shoulder twice, causing her to flinch. Squinting into the dimly lit room eagerly, she went on, "You seen my girl around?"

"I'm not really certain I should respond to that, but Applejack is in the far corner. By the," Rarity bit back her urge to say something rude about the way several of Rainbow's team mates had brought in their own poisons, and settled for a vague word instead. "_Beverages_."

"Athankya," Rainbow Dash slipped around Rarity and faked a more refined accent, to which Rarity actually rolled her eyes.

Rarity sighed as she closed the door behind the girl, taking a slow breath before turning back around to face her so-called birthday party. It was nothing like she had planned, certainly, and she felt rather alone and disappointed by it all. She leaned against her front door, looking out at the bunch of familiar faces, acquaintances or better known, who had better things to do than pay attention to her on such a special day at this.

High-pitched giggling followed by a smaller girl hanging on her shoulder caused Rarity to glance to the right to see Pinkie Pie squeezing her arm. Pinkie attempted to speak before she almost fell over, causing Rarity to use both her arms to support the seemingly dazed girl.

"Oh my, Pinkie Pie, are you alright?" Rarity asked, setting the party girl atop a small stool.

"Hehe, I'm fi—" A hiccup. "—ne, hahaha!"

Pinkie leaned her head against the wall and Rarity knelt down beside her. Leaning in, Rarity gently opened up Pinkie's mouth and took a sniff, regardless of how it disgusted her. Much to her suspicions, she retched back, realizing what was going on.

"Pinkie Pie, where did you get _alcohol!?_" Rarity asked, immediately glancing around the room. "Rainbow Dash!? But, she was only here briefly… Was it those Dumbbells!? I swear, those boys will be—"

Pinkie's arms wrapped around Rarity's neck, engulfing her in a choking hug. Rarity lost her balance and immediately fell on Pinkie. The weight of the two caused the stool to slide forward, tumbling the duo onto the ground. Rarity groaned as Pinkie Pie started giggling immediately, hiccuping as she did. Rarity's groaning was replaced with worry as she realized in their current position, she inadvertently had her rear raised in the air in her very short skirt. She pushed herself to her feet, briefly forgetting about Pinkie Pie as she spun around, glancing at the crowd. For once on her birthday, she was glad nobody's focus was on her yet she still attracted the attention of two boys. She sighed in relief as she saw that they were still attempting to pull out their phones by the time she started walking away.

'_Gah, I forgot about Pinkie. Oh, well, I'll apologize later since she really doesn't seem to care.'_

Rarity retreated to one corner of her boutique, specifically the kitchen. This was one area she knew she had to have a door—and lock—installed for the party. The upstairs simply had a small chain at the base with a "No Trespassing" sign since she couldn't find a "No Entry" sign. It wasn't quiet but it was the only secluded place she could find. The kitchen was dimly lit and had numerous party supplies should they run out of snacks and drinks but granted the inclusion of alcohol, she figured that her meager bottle of wine wasn't going to cut it.

Glancing to the side, she spotted many of the finer, more irreplaceable objects that was in her shop's lobby set carefully. Included with it all was two mannequins containing several of Rarity's latest works, one of which she considers her magnum opus of the year. Smiling, she leaned against the kitchen's island as she pulled out a bottle of wine from under the counter.

"Such a dear," she muttered, retrieving a glass as well.

Popping the cork, she let out a wistful sigh as she poured the liquids into the glass. A glass of red wine, cheaper than what she bought several nights prior, she took her time, effectively playing with the flowing liquid until it almost overflowed. She set the bottle down and lifted the glass, gently swivelling it as she did before, taking extra care to make sure the wine didn't spill over.

"Happy birthday to me," she muttered.

Standing up, she stepped back, leaned against the counter, pressed the rim against her lips and tilted it back. In one swish, she managed to guzzle the entire glass. As she finished, she winced briefly as she made sure not to open her mouth until the liquids were consumed, letting out a deep exhale when she was done. She set the glass next to the bottle of wine and immediately started pouring herself another bottle until she heard the knob on the new kitchen door rattle. She glanced over, shaking her head before resuming refilling her glass. She heard the sound of her lock deactivate and she stopped pouring the wine only to see Spike slide in through the door, quickly attempting to relock it before Scootaloo's voice boomed.

"Whassa mattah, Shpike? Nooo, Rardy don't have t' know, it'll be our lil' shecret," she slurred, collapsing against the wall.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck," Spike repeated as he locked it, shuffling to the side to put all his weight against the door.

He spun around, pressing his back against it before realizing that Rarity was with him in the kitchen, pouring a glass of win. He grinned sheepishly, chuckling as his eyes shifted to the door handle that Scootaloo was attempting to open.

"H-hi, Rarity. I didn't k-know you were in here," he said, stepping away from the door cautiously as the banging stopped.

"Well, it is _my_ house, Spike," she said, giggling as she relaxed, not filling her glass up like last time.

"Not what I meant, but, well, it's _your_ birthday." He stepped over to the island, leaning forward as he propped himself up on his arms. "Go party."

She shook her head, sighing as she slid the bottle to the darker end of the island, swishing the red wine once more.

"I was expecting a more… reserved or quieter get together and although I can only blame myself, it turned into a wild rave. I was just hoping to be with my friends and maybe a few of the football team members and you but I guess Pinkie getting involved inevitably led this to be a regular bash."

She lifted the glass up yet before she could take a sip, Spike's fingers slipped around the neck of the glass and lifted it out of Rarity's fingers, causing the girl to glance up in confusion. Spike merely guzzled what was in the glass instead of her, wincing due to the taste; he wasn't used to alcohol it seems.

"Well, I'm here now. We can drink alone, except… uh, there's two of us, so I guess we're not really alone," he said, averting his eyes. "Although I shouldn't be drinking."

"Who gives a damn on a day like today? Plus, I can legally drink, dearie. It's fine if _I _do it," Rarity said, fetching another glass.

"Ah, well, okay." Pausing briefly, he glanced to the door which still had sound exploding through the creases. Spike winced as a particularly loud shout sounded before facing Rarity as she refilled the two wine glasses, this time seemingly happier. "There are some things people shouldn't say, but sometimes it's better to just say them instead of letting them come out at worse times, y'know?" Spike downed the entire glass once more, not waiting for Rarity to pour him another glass. They didn't lock eyes yet neither could say why. Spike decided to take a guess. "Invisible strings."

Rarity stopped herself from pouring another glass as Spike said that. She turned to face him fully with a raised eyebrow as he chuckled at her confusion.

"Strings?"

Spike curled his lip before downing yet another glass of wine, taking it in stride as he refilled it once more. The bottle was now half empty, something Rarity took note of. Spike sighed once more, rubbing one of his fangs.

"Things you do in life are like… strings, or threads. You meet someone, you now have a string connected to them. You know their name and at first, it's just a lil' thread. Get to know them better and the thread changes into other things. Twilight's string becomes, say, a sweater vest because I swear to god, you haven't seen her wardrobe from her Canterlot days." Spike giggled at the memory, obviously starting to feel some of the alcoholic effects. "Applejack would be her stetson… I guess Big Mac's would be a yoke. Rainbow would become a jersey, or a Gay Pride flag, just because she really broadcasts it to AJ often." Slapping himself once, Spike mentally scolded himself for what he said as Rarity slowly consumed her drink.

"And me? I wouldn't know." Spike shrugged. "I've never been able to get a read on myself. Sometimes, these strings… we don't know what to do with them. Whether or not to cut them, or decorate them, or add to them or do what with them, such as wrap them around your delicate little index finger and create something out of them. That's where you come into things, Rarity."

Spike downed one more glass before setting it inside the island's sink. Rarity glanced up as he started walking, slowly circling the island until he stood in front of Rarity. She set the glass on the edge of the counter, pressing her palm flat against the surface afterwards. The two had faint smiles, Spike's being a bit larger.

"I guess," he said, turning left and leaning his back against the counter, "I'm just waiting for when you decide if you want to utilize my string. Make something out of it from it's short, unintersting colour into something beautiful. That's like, your special talent or something."

"Making things out of string?" Rarity asked, leaning against the island as her grin grew.

"No, you fool. Making anything beautiful, no matter where it came from. You managed to turn me from a loser with weird eyes into someone who randomly joined the football team just to impress a girl," Spike said, turning down to the wine bottle before ignoring it.

"Hmph! It was a fool's errand so indeed I am a fool. Nonetheless, it was still your own courage that brought you here, wasn't it?" Rarity asked, picking her glass up once more and downing half of what was left. "You could have quit the instance you heard Rainbow Dash being such a rude little b… botherer."

"Haha, you mean a butch? Err, I mean, bitch?" Spike said, slapping himself in the forehead as he fumbled his words.

"I don't want to be rude," Rarity responded, giggling as she took another drink, interrupted as Spike poked her right where her navel would be. She spat out a bit of wine, leaning forward to prevent it from spilling on herself as she started to giggle along with Spike.

"Oops, that was, uh, yeah," Spike responded, setting his hand on her shoulder.

"Gah, stooop, you, I'm ticklish." Rarity leaned back and immediately inspected her outfit to make sure she didn't spill. Spike pressed his finger on the bottom of her chin, tilting her head up so she faced him. "Hmm?"

"I guess it was me in the end. I brought myself here, but in the end, I still did it to try and be someone you wouldn't be ashamed of being with." Spike leaned in closer as the giggles stopped, replaced with an odd quiet they weren't used to that night. "I don't wanna sound like a stalking bitch, but… I've watched you from afar."

"Stalker," Rarity said in a singsong voice followed by a giggle.

Spike rolled his eyes, shaking his head as Rarity hiccuped. "No… I mean, I've known you for years and for a while, I've been enamoured. About you. Or, with you, whatever. I've been in love with you." Spike gulped once as his hand slowly moved forward, setting down gently on Rarity's hand that was resting on the counter. Her hand anticipated him and moved to hold onto his. "I've watched you and seen you. I've seen you on days where you cried, or days where you were mad. Or days where you were so happy you cried. I slowly began to realize I could identify what kind of clothing you wore… the maker, where it came from, what fabric and even what kind of lipstick or shampoo or perfume you use. I just sort of… picked up on it because I wanted to know you."

Rarity's mouth twitched briefly before a wide grin broke out on her face. Her other hand wrapped around Spike's other hand and gently tugged him closer towards her. He stumbled briefly, pressing his pelvis into hers, both of them struggling not to fall over onto the island. Rarity simply welcomed the warmth his body brought hers, her hands sliding up Spike's arms before wrapping around his back.

"You never had to do any of that to know me… or have me… you could have just asked, Spikey-wikey," she whispered, leaning in even closer.

Spike gulped yet again, leaning in as he closed his eyes. Opening them slightly, Spike could feel Rarity's breath on his lips; the sweet scent of wine and her natural breath sending his mind into a frenzy.

A loud banging occurred before someone yet again unlocked the kitchen door without ease, causing the couple to jump apart. Spinning to face the door, the two saw a figure tumble to the ground, a glass shattering as it occurred. Suddenly, all the noise in the house flared up, alerting the duo to the fact that _yes there was_ a party going on in Rarity's home. Upon stepping to the side, they saw Twilight giggling on the floor, rolling onto her back oblivious to the mess she created on the kitchen floor.

"Argh! Seriously!? How many lightweights are at this party!?" Rarity shouted, stomping over to Twilight.

"Don't you worry, Ratty, I'm not duck, honestly," Twilight mumbled as she burst into laughter, completely limp as Rarity lifted her up, propping her in a chair. "It's jusht a bad case of Piggy Pie."

Spike sighed, walking over to the door and locked it once more before Rarity's voice spoke in protest.

"There's no point, is there?" Rarity said, sighing wistfully once more. "Here, come pick Twilight up, she's too heavy for me."

"Too fat for yooou," Twilight said with a giggle.

Rarity turned to Spike as he walked towards them, a smile on her face.

"Would you say _three_ fat, Spike?"

"What was that oh yeah my sister is drunk let's take her elsewhere okay let's go," Spike stammered out as he pushed by Rarity, hoisting his sister over his shoulder without any problem.

"Whee," Twilight cried out softly before falling asleep.

"Haha, ah, my," Rarity said as she shut the lights off and made sure the kitchen was clean.

Once they left the room, Rarity pulled out a key and locked the kitchen door and just for extra measure, put up another "No Trespassing" sign. In the main lobby, there were numerous presents stacked up and Pinkie announcing that the birthday cake and presents would be taken care of in just an hour. Sighing, Rarity stepped up stairs, removing the chain as Spike followed, rehooking the chain. Spike gulped when he realized where he was going.

'_This is Rarity's __**home**__, her private area of the shop,'_ Spike thought, gulping as the noise downstairs once again faded from their consciousness.

Rarity led him down the hallway, past a closet, stopping right in from of a room labelled "Sweetie Belle". Opening the door, it was void of many things, Sweetie Belle spending this week at her parents' place.

"Just put her on Sweetie Belle's bed for now. I'll lock the door so nobody can get in," Rarity said.

Nodding, Spike stepped in, closing his eyes as often as possible to avoid letting his eyes wander into the personal space of someone else. With one hand, he threw the blankets back and set the sleeping Twilight down in the bed, fixing the sheets so Twilight was snuggled up in a bunch. Stretching his back, Spike turned around to face Rarity whom idly waited in the door, smiling. Spike returned the smile and stepped back, staggering briefly before giggling. Rarity outstretched her arms as Spike almost fell into her, hugging her tightly. The couple stumbled back, a bit lightheaded before Rarity's back met the opposing wall.

"S-Spike, I 'ave to lock the door," Rarity protested, shoving Spike to the right.

Rarity stepped forward, closing the door as she locked it while Spike stumbled in the direction of Rarity's room. He pressed both hands against each wall, holding himself up as Rarity pocketed the key that seemed to be universal. She smiled as Spike pushed himself to his feet and before he could properly reorient himself, Rarity pressed her hands against Spike's chest, shoving him back into her door.

The wooden plank opened up revealing Rarity's room and Spike only had a moment to process this before the door slammed shut and Rarity grabbed Spike's shirt by the collar like she did previously, holding him in place. His eyes darted around, his eyes growing wider as he realized where he was.

'_Oh my shitting god, this is Rarity's room. __**Rarity's room.**_ _Hers. All hers. Her place. Her room. Just us.'_

Gulping once, Rarity gently pushed Spike once more, guiding him back towards her bed. Spike caught on and his arms came up, hands grasping Rarity's shoulders. She yelped in surprise, releasing her grip on Spike as he gently swung her around, practically throwing her atop her velvety red sheets, canopy undisturbed by the rustling. Rarity, having closed her eyes as Spike tossed her, opened then to see Spike's arms pressed against the bed at both her sides, his body looming over hers and his face inches from hers. Their heartbeats quickened and a red tone found its way to their cheeks. Right away, the heated tension caused Spike to start panting as his mind reeled with fantasies all coming to a point in one night. He gulped once as he stared down into the eyes of the one that caught his heart, which was pounding in his chest; Spike felt very heavy indeed in the moment. Rarity smiled, allowing her arms to splay out, watching as her own deep, heavy breaths caused her chest to rise more noticeably… which caught the eyes of the boy atop her. She grinned devilishly as she watched him adorably avert his eyes, his blushing intensifying.

"Aha, I saw that, Spike," Rarity said, licking her top lip.

"S-sorry," Spike muttered, gritting his teeth.

"Don't be sorry, you naughty boy. You said you spent years watching me, right?" Rarity asked, lowering her voice into a sultry whisper.

"Y-yeah?"

"Typically, for my dresses, I follow a 'look with your eyes, not hands' rule until final purchases… I think for you, you can be an exception," she said, winking at him.

Spike gulped and his beating heart soon became the only thing he could hear as he briefly glanced down at her chest, only to meet her eyes again as she nodded. Rarity also seemed to avert her eyes, her fingers bending and gripping the sheets in anticipation. Spike leaned back, allowing his knees to support his weight as he lifted his hands off the bed, setting both on her belly. Unsure, he gently rubbed her belly, slowly working his hands upward as he seemed to be exciting himself moreso than Rarity.

His thumbs and index fingers soon pressed the base of each mound of flesh and Spike gulped as he once more found his stuttering nervous self taking over. Gritting his teeth once more, he simply twisted his wrists and allowed his fingers to gently slide onto her bosom, applying no pressure at the moment as he took in the situation.

'_Oh my god oh my god oh my god.'_

With nothing else to lose, he gave a gentle squeeze, pinching his thumbs and index fingers where he thought her nipples would be. Her breath was cut short by a light gasps and Spike's breathing stopped as well. Releasing the pinch, he let his fingers cup the sides of her breasts through the clothing as he pressed his thumbs gently in the centre, rubbing around the area in circles which seemed to be doing something.

'_Oh wow, these are… sensitive,'_ Spike thought, ignoring a burning sensation in his pelvis.

Another gulp. Spike allowed his hands to apply more pressure, 'kneading the flesh' as he read in a magazine once. He wondered why he bothered reading the fan mail portion of it in the first place but soon discovered that Rarity seemed to be responding to everything he did. He pressed the two mounds together and gently shook his hands, watching them jiggle as he listened to Rarity's gentle moans and gasps of air.

'_Oh, my, he's really touching them,'_ Rarity thought, feeling her mind going numb and an incredible warmth burn in her chest, as she was also just registering the situation. Her breaths were ragged and cut short by soft gasps and gentle moans brought on by the light sensations. If she was playing before, she certainly wasn't now when she realized her arms were now entirely numb and useless.

"W-wow, you're r-really, um, shivery," Spike said, his voice light and stuttered as he swallowed in the middle.

Rarity opened one eye half-way, feeling a grin forming on her face.

"S-shut u-up, dammit, this i-is nothing," Rarity responded, failing at her attempt to sound dominant and unresponsive.

Spike grinned and glanced down at the top Rarity wore, his instincts taking over the control his mind had on the situation. Removing his hands, Rarity let out a whine as well as a sigh of relief, her shivering slowing down. Instead, Spike mentally apologized in advance before slipping his fingers between the folds held together by her buttons, grasping the fabric tightly. With a swift motion, he yanked his hands apart which ripped the buttons on her top, revealing a laced black brasserie like in his fantasy. Rarity let out a louder yelp, her eyes opening up from the sheer suddenness of the motion and sound of the fabric being torn.

Eyes shifting down, she locked onto Spike's excited, nervous gaze which was fixated on her heaving chest as it was now merely covered by a thin black bra. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't take her eyes off her own body as Spike's hands firmly grasped her chest once more, the bare fingers making contact with the soft, pale flesh almost entirely exposed by the design of the black brassiere, little holes in the chest except for the areola practically making her bra act as lingerie.

Rather than experiment more, Rarity's heartbeat doubled as Spike's hands slid down, his fingers slipping under the strap. Before she could properly react, one rough tug and she could feel part of the strap as well as Spike's knuckles brush over her mounds as her chest was completely exposed. Spike let go of the strap, letting it gently snap against her chest and she let out a gasp.

Spike, using an index finger, gently prodded one of Rarity's perky, erect nipples. Pressing against the top, he flicked it and played with the nipple, causing Rarity to squirm underneath him. She clenched her fists, brought her arms close to her chest, squeezed her arms, anything to fight back the pleasure she felt.

"You're sensitive," Spike whispered, his voice catching in his throat.

Rarity couldn't respond to that, continuing to lightly shift underneath Spike until both his hands once again covered her chest, his thumbs resuming what he did before, this time without a top in the way.

Spike glared down, watching with glee as he saw Rarity wiggle underneath him, gasping and moaning and doing anything to stifle the pleasure to no avail. Stopping briefly, Rarity only had a moment to calm down before Spike's hands slid around her back as he shifted her further up on the bed. Wandering for a moment, Spike soon grasped her left breast in one hand, causing her to wince briefly as the contact with her nipple sent chills down her spine. Instead of using his other hand, Spike leaned forward, sticking his tongue out and Rarity briefly saw how long it was before his lips clamped around her nipple, his tongue immediately playing with the erect flesh.

Rarity started to screech before she merely arched her back, letting out a silent scream as she was assaulted by newfound pleasures. Her hands gently slid through Spike's hair, keeping him pinned to her chest. Spike didn't fight it, letting years of pent up lust and emotion built up lead him on.

His tongue pressed into her nipple as Spike began to suckle on the flesh. The boy revelled in the motions, suckling loudly as his hands fondled her breasts. Using his free hand, Spike ran it down her exposed curves, delicately sliding his fingers underneath both the strap of her skirt and underwear. Taking a note from their date, Spike ran his hand over her rear, feeling the soft flesh under both his hands. Rarity's legs spread ever so slightly as she gently pressed her pelvis against Spike's hip. Taking a note, Spike retracted his hands, releasing his oral grasp on Rarity's nipple. The woman immediately covered her chest, feeling an odd chill settling over her body. Closing her eyes, she attempted to calm down and bask in the feeling and eventually fluttered her eyes open, locking her eyes on Spike's.

Curiously, her focus trailed down his body before locking onto a rather obvious bulge in his pants, almost stopping her breathing dead cold. She gulped once and turned her gaze back to Spike before she shuffled back, sitting herself up. Lightly pulling the trim from under her skirt's strap, she didn't bother unbuttoning her shirt, opting to rip it off as Spike did. For her brassiere, she had to undo the strap before Spike reached forward, yanking it off along with her top leaving her top completely exposed.

Spike gently pushed her shoulders until she laid on her back before letting his hands slide down her body, fingers sliding under the strap for her skirt, panties and leggings. In one motion, he leaned back, tugging the clothing off slowly. Spike's eyes were fixated on her pelvis, his mind still running on pure instinct. Rarity closed her eyes, her legs shifting briefly as she let Spike unclothe her slowly.

Spike averted his eyes once she was exposed and looked down to her ankles, continuing to tug until it was only her shoes blocking the way. Undoing the straps, Spike tugged the heels off along with her bottoms and carelessly tossed them aside. Gulping once, he glanced up to see Rarity start to cross her legs, merely to stop. A hand covered her mouth as her eyes gently opened, her body shivering as their eyes locked.

She leaned up, keeping her eyes fixated on Spike's while her hands slid down to the base of his shirt. Rarity tugged at it, Spike taking the hint and sliding the rest of it off. She spotted his 60lbs. weight vest on it and paused for a moment.

"Well, someone has been doing a bit extra," Rarity said, briefly admiring the shape of the muscles on his arms.

"W-well, it pays to do extra, doesn't it? Extra credit, haha," Spike said, getting quieter as his voice caught in his throat once more.

He undid the buckle on his sides before sliding the vest over his head, tossing it to the side with a thud. Rarity felt excitement swell up even more having spotted the figure Spike managed to obtain via training. It seemed more akin to a bodybuilder or fitness nut, causing her to be surprised that someone with Spike's lifestyle could obtain it. She ignored it in favour of growing increasingly aroused to the masculine figure he had.

With a simple motion, Spike undid the belt, sliding it out of the loops in his jeans before dropping it and quickly unbuttoning his pants. Sliding it down, Spike kicked it haphazardly across the room, watching it land in front of the door before he sighed.

'_Okay, she'll either be surprised or excited. Only two options,'_ Spike thought, taking a deep breath as his heart beat started to annoy him.

Feeling anxious and nervous, Spike's arms shook a bit as he looped his thumbs through the waistband of his underwear and slowly peeled it off, bending forward as he did. He felt his phallus' tip pressing against his waistband before he slid it over, feeling himself blush as he let it go, letting it slide to his ankles before he tossed it off to the side. Standing up straight, he grabbed one arm, looking down at the floor before forcing his eyes to glance at Rarity.

'_Okay, you're both naked. In her room. She's on her bed, you learned this in health class.'_

Gulping once yet again, Spike let his arms hang at his sides as the two remained silent, their eyes glancing all over the other. It was several seconds before Spike realized why.

"O-oh, sorry," Spike said, leaning forward as he crawled onto the bed.

Rarity slightly tensed up as she felt Spike's weight pressing against the bed, shifting the mattress. Their eyes locked on each other once more and just as Spike's hand slid up her belly, aiming towards her breast, Rarity grabbed his hand and gently tugged it towards her face. Spike watched with baited breath as Rarity pressed her thumb into the crease of his index finger, causing it to point out. Gently, she tugged at his hand until the tip of his finger was pressed against her bottom lip before her tongue gently pressed against it, her lips closing around the finger.

Spike felt himself twitch as the sensations of Rarity's tongue and lips around his finger drove his mind wild. Racing with fantasies and suggestive thoughts, Spike pulled his finger out much to her surprise and leaned forward, allowing his stomach to press against Rarity's. She gasped briefly before Spike's lips pressed against her own.

Immediately, Spike pressed his tongue into her mouth, pressing the tip against her teeth, her tongue… experimenting like he had always wanted for many years. His hands set on her hips briefly before he slid it up her body, clasping his fingers around her breasts once more and Rarity wrapped her legs around Spike, her fingers already wrapped around his head.

Moans escaped into Spike's mouth and vice versa as his fingers continued to fondle her breasts. Rarity almost screeched as she felt Spike's flaring hot phallus grind against her lips, the tip pressing into her belly already wet. Each time Spike shifted, Rarity felt the base against her clitoris as well as her labia, causing her to gently thrust forward. Spike did the same, pressing himself against her.

'_We aren't doing anything yet.'_

Separating the kiss as well as his gentle thrusts, Spike watched a string of saliva connect his bottom lip to Rarity's tongue as the two panted heavily. Spike gulped once more and didn't bother waiting.

He slid back, causing Rarity to release her grip on him. As soon as Spike was far back enough, she attempted to bring her legs closed but Spike's hands pressed against her inner thighs, sliding down gently. Staggered breaths, Rarity glanced down as she saw Spike's hands moving towards her opening. Without much warning, Spike's thumbs gently poked at her labia, brushing up and down which caused the girl to squirm. She bit her lip and covered her mouth to keep her moans down to no avail. It was high-pitched and noisy even as she covered her mouth as Spike always teased her; whenever his thumbs came close to her clitoris, he'd always pull away at the last moment.

A thud sounded against the wall causing Spike to stop briefly, glancing at the floor as if it came from below. Rarity immediately faced the door and expected someone to bust in any moment yet nobody ever came after thirty seconds. Feeling more relaxed after that, Spike let out several giggles as whatever minor shivering he had vanished immediately.

Leaning forward, Spike spread her lips and dipped his head down, his tongue sticking out as he closed his eyes. Rarity immediately clamped her eyes shut and felt her body tense up.

'_Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh he's really going to do it!'_

Something warm and wet pressed against her clit causing the girl to spasm immediately. She attempted to sit up due to the shock of the pleasure before she found her body too weak to move as Spike's lips pressed against her. His tongue slid past her clit and began to press against her insides. She arched her back, the pleasure and sensations completely alien to her. Roughly, he began to drag his tongue all over her, pressing into her clit, her labia and just above her clit.

Dragging his tongue some more, Rarity felt herself teased as Spike pressed his tongue, circling her clit rather than press directly against it. Her excitement and desperation for the pleasure grew each time he threatened to press it against her clit and aggravated her more. She moved her hands, pressing it against his scalp and groaned as she did.

Rather than oblige, Spike pulled back much to her disappointment and licked his lips, taking a deep breath as his mind reeled. Planting his hands around her on both sides, Spike panted heavily as his mind continued to flash images and realizations.

"You… tease," Rarity cried out, shifting her legs as she covered her pelvis with her hands to combat the chill she felt yet again.

"G-gotta save t-the main e-event, y'know?" Spike said, rolling to the side so he laid on his back.

Rarity glanced over at him, watching his phallus stand tall as it throbbed and twitched every few seconds. Without thinking twice, her right hand reached over as she twisted her body, allowing her to reach the twitching phallus. Spike had a similar reaction to Rarity the instant her delicate, slim fingers wrapped around his shaft.

"O-oh, fu-fuck me," Spike muttered, his whole body shivering.

"I don't need an invitation," Rarity responded, giggling sheepishly.

She gave it a gentle squeeze, getting a feel for it and how it reacted before she gently slid it up the shaft, coating her fingers in the liquid that came out of the tip. She found it far easier to stroke the shaft with it and gently continued until Spike attempted to speak. Rarity slowed down her strokes as she stared at Spike whom covered his eyes with her arm.

"F-fa… fast… faster, ha… hard-harder!" Spike pleaded as his voice barely came out in scattered whispers.

Grinning, Rarity slowed down to a stop, gently squeezing the tip of the phallus. Sitting upright, Rarity slid her legs off the bed and, using all her strength, pulled Spike over too. He removed his arm from over his eyes just in time to see Rarity turn her whole body, setting her knees on the floor beside the bed. Their eyes locked onto one another as her head was soon low enough for her to return the favour.

"Woah, R-Rarity, you don't ha-have to do that?!" Spike said, attempting to speak over his instincts.

Rather than respond, Rarity leaned forward and gave a gentle kiss to the tip of the phallus, silencing Spike immediately. She glanced down, giggling as she saw a red lipstick imprint on the tip as well as at Spike's sudden lack of protest.

"Should I still stop?" she asked.

Spike responded by moving his hands until he gently pressed it against the back of her head, just where it won't interfere with her hairdo, and tugging gently until she was less than an inch away.

"You naughty boy," Rarity said, her voice almost cracking.

Opening her mouth, she took a moment to pant, her heart and breaths seemingly moving faster than she could process. The heat of her breath on his tip merely sent Spike into a shivering mess as he propped himself up with his arms. Attempting to keep his eyes open, he stared down into Rarity's blue eyes, contrasting well against her burning red cheeks as her jaw dropped a little lower and her tongue stretched out, pressing against the base of his tip.

Grunting, Spike watched as Rarity tilted her head down and leaned in, sliding the tip inside her mouth before gently clamping her lips down. She didn't make it halfway before she gagged and pulled back, coughing briefly. Spike once again felt worry and stupidity on his part.

"I'm sorry, do you wanna stop?" Spike asked as Rarity glanced up to meet his gaze.

"No no, I'm sorry. I just haven't done this before," she said, chuckling awkwardly.

She dipped her head back down before could protest again, wrapping her tongue around the tip. Rather than take it into her mouth again, she swivelled her tongue around it, licking up the centre of the tip, each motion causing the boy to moan.

Clamping her lips around the tip once more, she didn't try to take anymore in and gently sucked on the tip. Spike's hand once again set on the back of her scalp as he gently pet her hair, unsure what to do. Along with suckling on the tip, Rarity moved her tongue until she was pressing against the slit. Spike groaned briefly until Rarity's tongue slid back under and she slowly moved her head forward, taking in more of the phallus.

'_Is this _three _dirty for you, Spike?'_ Rarity thought, causing herself to choke once more as she giggled.

"W-what?" Spike asked as Rarity coughed once more, turning away briefly to avoid coughing on Spike.

She was laughing, her hand now resting on the base of his phallus as she gently stroke him. After a few seconds, Rarity shook her head and glanced up to face Spike, a grin stuck on her face.

"Let's… try something _else_, shall we?" Rarity said.

Spike didn't bother asking what she meant, this being too obvious for him as Rarity stood up. The two glanced into the other's eyes as Rarity leaned in, pressing her lips to Spike. Neither of them cared about having just performed oral. With a shove, Spike was once more laying on his back before he shuffled up further. Rarity climbed onto the bed, straddling him. Setting her hands on his stomach, she ran her fingers over his abs before setting it on his pecs. Making sure her legs were spread, she gently pressed the base length of his shaft against her opening, gently sliding back and forth. Spike watched as rather than shift her whole body, she merely moved her hips back and forth. He found himself mesmerized by her movements, still comprehending the situation.

"Oh jeez, this is really happening," he muttered.

"Y-yes it is, Spike," Rarity said, giggling.

"Oh, that was s-supposed to be my thought...s," Spike said, slapping both hands over his face as he covered his eyes.

With his eyes closed, Spike's imagination picked up the slack as he imagined what Rarity looked like; alluring gaze, perfectly shaped body, wet lips slathering his erection with the body's natural lube… it was too much for him.

Removing his hands from his eyes, Spike grabbed Rarity's shoulders once more and rolled the two of them over until Spike was on top. The two stared into the other's eyes and wordlessly, Rarity nodded to the unasked question. Glancing down, Spike shifted back a bit, feeling the base of his phallus drag against her opening, causing the girl to moan gently until he could feel his tip slide down her slit. She let out a moan which stopped when she realized where he was.

"Rarity, this is the last chance you have if you wanna say no," Spike said, gulping. "If you don't want to do it with m—"

Spike was caught off guard as Rarity's legs wrapped around him and squeezed, causing Spike to accidentally slide into her opening. He wasn't expecting the tightness, resistance or the suddenness of it… nor was he expecting Rarity to bite down on his neck. Wincing, he could hear her suppress a scream, her whole body tense. Spike's first reaction was to start caressing her back, attempting to shush her.

"I-it's fine, Rarity. The p-pain will b-be over any second," he said, the pain and fear causing him to tense up as well.

She was still just as tense, scratching his back with her nails. Regardless of how scared and nervous he was, he still felt bad as the tightness and wetness of her orifice brought immense pleasure to him.

After what seemed like eternity, Rarity loosened up significantly, removing her teeth from Spike's shoulders as well as loosening her grip on him. Spike sighed in relief as he felt the pain vanish. Before he could bother asking if Rarity was alright, he turned to her and she spoke, eyes full of tears and, unfortunately, a bit of blood on her teeth.

"I'm s-sorry, S-Spike, I didn't—" She sniffled. "—mean to."

"No, stop that. It wasn't your fault, I don't blame you. This definitely doesn't hurt me as much as it is you," Spike responded, an assertive tone coming from _somewhere_.

His thumb gently brushed away her tears as she sniffled back, clenching her eyes shut once more as she buried her face in Spike's neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to pain," she whispered.

"I'm not, thankfully or I'd be a wee bit down right now," Spike said, chuckling.

"Yeah." Rarity let out a light chuckle as she sniffed once more, wiping her tears away as she quickly licked her teeth, removing any blood regardless of the metallic taste. "Try moving."

Nodding, Spike gently pulled back, feeling a wetness aiding him as he pulled back. Rarity tensed up once more, although not as bad as before as Spike almost pulled all the way out. Gently, he wiggled his hips, pressing lightly until he was in once more.

"That was definitely better than the first," Rarity said, still wincing as Spike started to get a slow rhythm.

"I'm a-afraid I c-can't s-say that I k-know the f-f-feeling," Spike stuttered, his body shivering as the pleasure was registering far better.

"Do-don't worry a-about me, it's not g-going to be _too_ good for me f-first time," she said, attempting to loosen up her body.

"I'll try."

Spike pulled back, feeling each ridge inside the orifice press against his shaft which filled her up plus bonus. Being far larger, he must be a nightmare for virgins yet it benefitted for every time after. His entire pelvis felt warmth as he pushed in and out, feeling each thrust in ripple down his spine in waves as he shakily held onto the girl he loved. Burying his face in her neck, Spike exhaled several hot breaths on her neck before licking a spot, then pressing his lips as he began to suckle on the spot.

His hands rested on her rear, folding the soft, tender flesh before he ran it up her curves. He pulled back, glancing down to see that the first mark he left days prior was still barely there, his new one fresh and dark. He let his hands rest briefly on her hips as Rarity now lazily laid there, not putting any effort in making it easier for Spike; he didn't blame her, adjusting his position so his legs were stretched out, forcing more effort yet allowing for her to relax.

"Gah, s-sorry, Spikey-wikey, I c-can't do much," Rarity said, gulping.

Spike merely growled in response, listening to her moans becoming the dominant sound instead of the groans of pain. Suddenly though, three startlingly hard knocks rang out through the wall just behind the headboard.

"_Hey!_" Spike went dead still as the knocking continued until the silence satisfied it. That same brash voice broke through the wall again, "_Enough with the banging! I'm trying to get my own rhythm going here!_"

"That sounded like Rainbow Dash," Spike whispered uneasily, gulping as he worried she might have been listening. Over another hushed murmur or two through the wall, Rarity replied.

"Do you think she heard much?" Rarity asked in a whisper from underneath him, but furrowed her brow with a confused look. "Wait, why would Rainbow Dash be in my guest room?"

"_Ack! Rainbow what're y'doin'?!_" another voice called out in a panic before a loud _thud_ was heard alongside some rustling. Spike and Rarity stared at each other for a long few seconds, worried and uncertain.

"Was that Applejack? What do you think they're—?" Spike's eyes grew wide as a low moan breached their ears before it was stifled, and they both knew what that meant.

Spike glanced down at Rarity as she stared back, the two of them confused for a moment before Rarity got a devilish grin on her face, worrying Spike briefly.

"_Fuck_ them," Rarity said, chuckling as she said that.

"W-well, if you say so," Spike said, grinning.

Pulling back, he decided to test the waters. He gave a particularly hard thrust that resonated well with Rarity. It didn't seem to hurt and Spike didn't put the whole erection inside her. Rarity brought her hands up to belly, resting them between Spike's arms; the position caused her arms to squeeze her larger breasts together and she closed one eye, winking at Spike as she stuck her tongue out. Spike was taken aback by how she looked, gulping as he etched the expression into his memory.

Grunting once, Spike propped himself up to the best of his ability and spread his legs a bit. Sliding his hands down to Rarity's rear, he gripped her tightly before rolling the duo over once again. Rarity's chest pressed into Spike's. Releasing his grip on her soft rear, Spike pressed his hands against her chest.

Spike pushed Rarity up until she was sitting upright. She was lightheaded enough to the point where she was disoriented and leaned forward, pressing her hands against Spike's chest for support. Spike glanced up only to see her arms once again squishing her large busom together and he set his hands on her hips.

"Sorry if I'm a bit rough, but I'm beyond the point of caring too much so, I may be venting several years worth of, uh, sexual tension, y'know?" Spike grunted, gently caressing her hips.

"G-gah, I d-don't, fuggin' care, d-do something," Rarity said, rounding her back as she felt Spike's hands reach around her.

Without waiting any longer, Spike began to thrust upwards, causing Rarity to bounce on his lap. He repeated this once, then twice only to see that it was working the best for Rarity. She began to moan far more than she had before and Spike examined her body, making sure that it wasn't out of discomfort. Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Spike slid his hands down just a little longer until he had his hands wrapped around her rear, giving him a better grip.

Each thrust sent shivers up both spines, Rarity struggling to keep herself supported as her arms started to shake. Spike, meanwhile, was merely getting fueled as the pleasure spread across his body, his pelvis feeling warm and his shaft twitching, his climax growing closer.

"F-fuck," Rarity muttered, her arms failing as she collapsed onto Spike.

His hands moved from her rear, sliding between them before grasping her soft breasts. She managed to prop herself up just barely and she stared at Spike even as he continued trying to thrust.

"God, you have amazing tits, Rarity," Spike muttered in a growl.

His thumbs pressed into her nipples and the added roughness was something Rarity wasn't prepared for. Once more she began to moan, panting heavily as her chest became heavy. Spike didn't register the heavy feeling, relishing in the feeling.

Approaching his climax, Spike let out a groan as his hands slid off her chest, wrapping around her back as he squeezed her tightly. His grunting and breaths became more erratic acting as the queue for Rarity.

"S-Spike, c-cum o… o—" She gulped, her voice catching in her throat.

"S-soon, I'll be d-done, a-alright?" Spike responded, his voice sounding weak and raspy as he focused on the feeling.

"D-do it outside, p-pull out," Rarity managed to say more clearly.

"Oh, r-right," Spike said, nodding his head.

He rolled them over immediately, causing Rarity to yelp. Spike pulled out without much warning, causing the girl to shriek and cover her orifice with her hand. Rarity felt empty as well as completely soaked. Glancing down, she saw Spike grind the base of his phallus against her lips, grunting more and more. Rarity reached down and set a hand on him, his thrusting allowing her to stroke as well.

"F-fuuuck," Spike said, his body tensing up briefly.

His pelvis seemed to contract slightly as a great warmth shot through his shaft, sending pleasure throughout his pelvis and up his spine. White fluids spurted out of the tip of the shaft as he stopped his thrusts while Rarity continued to stroke the shaft. She could feel his testicles contracting during each spurt as well as the warm liquid coating her belly and slowly sliding down her sides, caressing her in an odd, wet warmth.

Eventually, the squirts stopped and Spike let out a loud, thick breath he didn't know he held as his body loosened up. He rolled to the side, laying next to Rarity as the two panted heavily from the experience.

Several minutes passed as Rarity's hands took to touching and playing with the fluid on her belly.

"W-well, okay then, you're g-gonna need a bath, or shower," Spike said, feeling his face flush as he remember where it came from.

"I'd rather just sleep, y'know?" Rarity responded with a giggle.

Rather than let Spike protest again, she stood up, using one hand to prevent any of the liquids from going too far from her belly. Spike giggled at the awkward way she walked to prevent it from sliding down her curves as she pulled open a set of doors, stepping into a walk-in closet. Within three seconds, she stepped out, immediately wiping her belly off with a towel. Discarding it on the floor like the rest of her clothes, she walked to the door and did the thing she should have done before; put another "No Trespassing" sign on it. She quickly wrote a note and stuck it to the door as well explaining why they should continue the party tomorrow. After that, she locked the door and stepped back towards Spike as he sat on the bed. Bending over, she picked up his underwear, flinging it towards him as she found her panties and brassiere. Sliding the panties on as she walked to the bed, she wiggled them on the last bit, Spike's eyes fixated on the two side-straps as they slid over her hips. By then, he had managed to get his underpants on as Rarity slid the bra over her frame, hooking it seemingly without effort.

"I thought you were supposed to ask me for help with that," Spike said, chuckling.

"Maybe to complete the cliche fantasy. Oh well, I did learn how to do this years ago," Rarity said as she briefly adjusted the bra.

Throwing the blanket covers to the side over Spike, she gently, dantifully slid into the covers as Spike merely crawled onto the pillows until he could slide his legs under them. Rarity scoffed, rolling her eyes before giggling in response to his actions. Once he was laid in the bed, he sighed gleefully.

"Happy Birthday, Rarity. I love you," Spike said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Heehee, thank you, Spikey-wikey. I love you too." She snuggled as close to Spike as she could, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. They shared one last kiss before the two closed their eyes, exhausted.

Unfortunately, they couldn't sleep well that night due to loud thuds sounding from the next room over.


End file.
